


The Lady and the Scribe

by Madkat89



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Courting Rituals, Dwarf & Hobbit Cultural Differences, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Female Bilbo Baggins/Ori - Freeform, Healing, Hobbit Culture & Customs, Hobbits in Erebor, Post-Quest of Erebor, Rule 63, fem!Bilbo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madkat89/pseuds/Madkat89
Summary: Set after BOTFA, the courtship of the dwarven scribe Ori of the line of Ri and the Lady Belladonna Baggins of the Shire.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Ori
Comments: 48
Kudos: 178





	1. Scouring Erebor

**Author's Note:**

> Something a little bit different, I will refine the tags and summary as I go :)

Nori scowled as he made his way silently through Erebor's corridors. It had been eight weeks since the fight that had since come to be known as The Battle of the Five Armies. He snorted inwardly at the pretentious name. What fool had decided that that was the right name for what had happened? It should have been called something along the lines of a near brawl between men, elves, and dwarves that turned into an uneasy alliance against orcs, goblins, and wargs. Although he had to admit that that was a mouthful, so maybe Battle of the Five Armies was more appropriate. 

Which led him back to his foul mood. Although Thorin had been cured of his gold sickness and now reigned under the mountain and all appropriate treaties had been hammered out thanks to Balin's patience. The dwarves were settling nicely into Erebor, even in they were also sheltering the people of Lake Town throughout the winter until they started rebuilding in spring. All of the company had miraculously made it through battle, mostly unharmed. Kili's bow arm had been broken and it would take several months to heal, but the young dwarf had ultimately been lucky as he was expected to recover fully. Gloin and Bombur had some new scars that they would get to show their wives when they arrived and young Fili's golden mane should have regrown sufficiently by the time his lady mother Dis made her appearance. At least, that was Thorin's ardent hope and wish. Most surprising of all, Bifur had lost his axe when he headbutted a troll. Although his head still ached at times, he was slowly regaining his ability to speak modern khuzdul and common.

But there was one of their company still unaccounted for. The brave hobbit lass had not been seen since she had helped Thorin defeat Azog. If it hadn't been for her intervention several times that day, it came out later, they would've lost the entire line of royal Durins. But after stabbing Azog and distracting him long enough for Thorin to defeat him, the lass had disappeared like she'd never been. At first they had feared the worse, but as days passed and her body was not found, hope slowly returned. Nori clung to the hope that she survived tenaciously, unwilling to bear the thought of the tiny lass he had come to consider a sister being gone forever. The Ri's had lost so much over the years, please, he begged Mahal, don't make them deal with losing Bella too.

Although the elves had been close mouthed as usual, Nori had managed to slip through their camp using all his skills and discover that she was not with the leaf eaters. That only left three options. One, she had truly perished that day and they might never know. Two, disgusted with the dwarves and in fear of her life from Thorin, she had fled back to the Shire. He considered this an unlikely course of action, remember the night watch they had shared in Mirkwood where Bella confessed that she couldn't return to the Shire because her reputation would be in tatters. She had whispered so quietly that he had to strain to hear of her hope that she might be able to find a life for herself in Erebor amongst the company who had become like family to her.

The third and final option was that she had mingled in with the men and dwarves and was hiding from the company while she bided her time until spring to do whatever it was that she was planning.

It was this option that he was desperately clinging to. Although Thorin had officially pardoned Bella, it had been kept quiet so as to not tarnish her reputation with rumors about her supposed crimes, which had been figments of Thorin's gold sickness. Instead, it had been announced that the company was searching for her and that there was a reward for any information leading to her whereabouts. Looking back, he questioned the wisdom of this declaration. Balin had worded it carefully as was his wont and if Bella still believed that she was banished, she could be thinking the worst.

It was the not knowing that was gnawing at Nori and weighing on the company as well. The scamps hadn't pulled a prank since the battle, the grey had increased in Thorin's braids and Dwalin, taciturn at the best of times, had spoken maybe a handful of words, clearly blaming himself for not stopping Thorin that day on the battlements. 

But it was his brothers that were breaking Nori's admittedly jaded heart. Although Dori was in high demand as a tailor, his clothes had no life in them. They were simply sturdy clothes with none of the small touches that the refined dwarf loved to add. He hadn't seen Dori do any fancy work in weeks unless he counted the small coat that was carefully tucked out of sight that he kept fussing with when he thought he was alone. In the evenings when the brothers gathered in their suite of rooms, the older dwarf would cradle his cup of tea and stare off into the distance, his expression melancholy and unseeing, although he tried to limit it for Ori's sake.

As it was, both of the older Ri's were desperately worried about Ori. He was losing weight and there were deep, dark circles under his eyes. Nothing Bombur cooked could tempt his appetite and he pushed his food listlessly around on his plate. Nori hadn't seen him write a word in weeks. He'd been assigned to the archives but instead of the excited somewhat fanatical gleam that he got in his eyes when he got access to books, he moved through the motions mechanically. Despite Dori's best efforts, his hair hung lank and lifeless. Although Fili and Kili had tried to pull him out of his funk and lift his spirits, he merely nodded and headed back to the archives.

It couldn't go on like this. At this rate, his brother would waste away pining for his one, the tiny hobbit lass that had given everything to give their home back to them. 

Determined to fix this, Nori started scouting through the people residing in Erebor. If Bella was alive, she was clearly avoiding the company. If she had seen their sorry state, she wouldn't have been able to hide but would have come out and scolded and coddled them back into proper shape. However, there was no way that the lass could survive outside the mountain. Just a week after the battle, the first blizzard of the season had swept in, giving them just barely enough time to get everyone into shelter inside either Mirkwood or Erebor.

So if she were still here, and if she wasn't he'd eat Bofur's hat, then she had to have disguised herself somehow to be part of a work crew so she could eat. She wasn't among the injured. He inspected the injured and healers every few days, making sure to keep his schedule irregular to make sure that she wasn't among them or hiding amongst the healers somehow. 

When he started his search, he eliminated all the groups that came into the contact with the company on a regular basis. If she'd seen any of the company she wouldn't have been able to stay silent and all of the company watched those that they came into contact with for Bella, although their hope was fading more with each passing day of her returning to them. So that left him with two options. She was either hidden with the men or she was in one of the cleaning crews that were helping to make the mountain habitable again. After all, with all the dwarves from the Iron Hills present, it would be easy for her to slip into one of the groups without much fuss, with her knowing as much about Dwarven culture as she did.

A couple of weeks after the battle when things had calmed slightly, the company had taken Bard aside and discreetly shared the whole sordid story. Although unhappy about the circumstances, Bard had promised to keep an eye out for Bella and inform the company if she were alive, although he would promise no more than that. The company had wanted to protest, but knew that they were lucky to get any reassurances from the man at all. Since Bard appeared to be a man of his word as well as a devoted father, Nori knew that if Bella were hidden among the men, even disguised as a child, it would be a matter of time until she was discovered and it was reported back to them.

Which left him with the dwarves to search. You would think that a tiny beardless lass would prove easy to spot, but his respect and admiration grew as the days passed and there was no sign of her. His frustration and heartache grew at an equal pace as well. The lass had proved to be an apt student and quickly picked up everything he taught her, much to his pride and Dori's dismay. Although the lass was comely, he had been surprised when his feelings had shifted to a more protective brotherly type. It became more clear when he noticed how much Ori was pining over the lass but unable to gather the courage to speak with her. After stealing the lad's journals and reading them, something that didn't bother him in the slightest, he discovered that Ori believed the hobbit lass to be his One. However, due to his low position in both the company and as a scribe, he didn't dare speak with the lass. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes at his youngest brother's thickheadedness, how many dwarrow dreamed for years and years of finding their ones, Nori had promptly told Dori and the two had put their heads together. 

Nori felt a small smile quirk the corners of his lips. Although Dori came across as a prim and proper dwarf, he had a deviousness that made Nori envious. Together, they had worked hard to throw the pair together, something that the rest of the company had noticed and gleefully joined in on. They had started off on getting the wee lass to talk about cultural differences. The young scribe's natural curiosity came to the fore and his awkwardness disappeared as he peppered her with questions, scribbling frantically to make sure that he didn't miss a word. This went on for several days and by the time Ori realized what was happening, the two had formed an easy friendship that he was loathe to break off.

Satisfied that his work was done, Nori had stood back and watched amused as their relationship progressed slowly. However, that didn't stop him from intervening when Bofur and then Fili had said something about possibly courting the lass. Bella was his baby brother's One and he made it quite clear that any dwarf that tried to interfere would have the entire Ri clan after them. Bella hadn't questioned Nori when he'd claimed kinship rights, not understanding the full depth of what it meant. But the other dwarves did and amicably backed off, although there was some grumbling from the Ur clan that they had wanted to make the lass kin.

So here he was months later, trying to track down a lass who had boasted about being unbeatable in hide and seek, something that he was quickly finding to be true. Although Thorin had appointed him spymaster for Erebor, he was having trouble concentrating on his duties, too worried about his family. He'd been slowly working his way through the cleaning crews, but hadn't had any luck. He was making his way back to the main area after his latest search, traveling through the back ways as he fidgeted anxiously with a piece of knotted rope. There were only a few crews left, what if the lass hadn't joined with any of them?

He was cutting through a cavern that was currently closed off until architects could verify if it was safe or not when something caught his eye. Pausing, he turned slowly and looked closer. Sitting on the edge of a walkway over a deep cavern, a small figure was perched with their feet dangling over the side. Their large feet. Their large, bootless, hairy feet. Nori sucked in a quiet breath, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten, praying that he really saw what he thought he saw and that it wasn't a mirage brought on by his desperation. 

Opening his eyes, relief flooded him as he saw that she was still there. She appeared to be fiddling with something small in her hands. As he watched her, he caught small snatches of a hummed tune, something so soft and sad that it made his heart ache. Abruptly, fury filled him. This all could've been solved weeks ago if she hadn't run away and hidden from them. Deep down, he knew that his anger was irrational and misplaced, that it wasn't her fault for being scared of Thorin and the fact that he might still want to kill her and that she was most likely suffering just as much as they were. But he pushed that aside, his brother's wan, worn face swimming through his thoughts.

He moved carefully, noiselessly, through the cavern, pausing any time the wee lass shifted even slightly. But he knew that hobbits lacked the dark vision that dwarves had and she seemed oblivious to his approach. She screamed when he pounced on her, scruffing her like an angry kitten. She kicked violently at him while trying to fumble Sting loose. Moving them away from the edge of the walkway and deftly avoiding her kicks, He growled, "Enough, Little sister. Don't want you hurting yourself. It's just me."

She froze, her screams abruptly dying off. She whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse, "Nori?"

"Aye lass, finally found ye. And a merry chase you've led me too."

Releasing Sting's handle, she pleaded, "Let me go. Please. I promise that I'll leave as soon as the weather permits. Please, I'll never bother you again. Just let me go. I'm sorry I took the Arkenstone, I'm sorry for everything. Just please, please Nori. Please let me go and you'll never see me again."

Nori sighed and gentled his grip, his anger fleeing at the terror in her voice. He abruptly noticed how thin she was and the absolute tangled mess that was her hair. Her clothes were much too thin and her skin was like ice. Setting her gently down, he kept a tight hold on her wrists. "I'm afraid I can't do that, namith. We thought you were dead." 

Looking at the ground, she shook her head. "I'm not, I'm sorry that you thought that. But you had to think that, you had to not look for me. How did you find me anyway?"

Nori chuckled humorlessly, "You didn't make it easy, lass. I've turned about every stone over in Erebor and was just about to start on the journey back to the Shire. So no matter where you went, I would've found you."

She drooped upon hearing this. She whispered, "Why, why can't you just let me go?"

Nori sighed, smoothing a curl from her face. "Because, we can't. C'mon, the company needs to know that you've been found."

Her face became more terrified and she started struggling against his grip. Instead of arguing, he picked her up and tossed her neatly over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. The sooner everyone knew that she was alive, the better it would be. And he could put her fears to rest after Thorin apologized properly to her. After all, she wouldn't believe a word he said until Thorin said first that he actually forgave gave her. He growled quietly, feeling slightly guilty when a tremor ran through Bella. Thorin shouldn't be forgiving Bella, he should be apologizing and begging for her forgiveness.

He thought quickly and realized that the company would most likely be gathered in the room that they had commandeered for their meals. Although Bombur had been doing his best, his heart had not been in it, worrying about the missing lass. Although all of them ate the food, no one truly enjoyed their meal. He smiled as he realized how much one tiny hobbit had changed a group of hardheaded dwarves.

Making his way swiftly through the mountain, he was careful to take back ways where he wouldn't be seen. Although there were few that would question one of the company, the rules on how to treat women were ironclad. Bella could take his beard for the way he was hauling her about. But he knew with a gut deep certainty built by decades of living by his instincts that if he put her down, she would be gone and he would never find her again.

Eventually her struggles stopped altogether and she just lay limp across his shoulder, a fine trembling running through her. He made a mental note to speak to Dori as soon as possible to get a warmer wardrobe made for her. Hobbits didn't have the internal forge that all of Mahal's creations did and Erebor was much too cold for the tiny creature. 

Finally drawing near to the company's room, he was able to make out the low murmur of voices. The boisterous parties were a thing of the past without Bella. Listening closely, he could make out the sounds of all the members of the company. Good. The food should be ready, which was a good thing because Bella needed to eat and soon. Best of all, they wouldn't be expecting him since it was never certain whether or not he would be able to attend these dinners, busy as he was with his duties at times. He knew it was petty of him, but he was looking forward to the looks of shock and surprise on the other dwarves faces when he returned with the wayward hobbit in tow.

Pausing before the door, he let Bella down. She tried to bolt but he just grabbed her by the nape and pushed the door open, dragging her in with him. Scanning the room quickly and ignoring the shocked silence, he located Ori. Pulling her with him, he marched over and deposited her unceremoniously in front of the stunned scribe. Ori's eyes widened impossibly wide and he reached out hesitantly to touch Bella's cheek. When he established that she was indeed real and not a figment of his imagination, he collapsed to his knees, wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach, silent sobs shaking his frame. 

Bella looked at Nori in shock and he nodded sharply as if to say, "Now, you see?"


	2. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have another chapter :)

Bella hung limply over Nori's shoulder, trying frantically to plan. She had the ring, but the dwarf had such a firm grip that even if she turned invisible, she wouldn't be able to escape. She knew that the dwarf was taking her to Thorin and he would enact his sentence of banishment, sending her out into the cold and snow. She wouldn't even be able to beg shelter because the men of Laketown and Dale were sheltering in Erebor until spring. And she would rather freeze to death then deal with the elves of Mirkwood again. Her only chance would be to run when he set her down. She was faster and smaller than he was and if she could just get out of his sight for a few moments, she could slip the ring on and disappear again.

After all, she was used to wearing the ring, only taking it off for brief moments when she couldn't stand the cold grey world anymore. But the alternative, being caught by Thorin and the others was too great a possibility to leave it off. She scoffed bitterly. Much good it had done, she'd been caught anyway, by Nori of all people. She had prayed that he wasn't looking for her. He had claimed her as kin and apprentice thief-in-training, so she was hoping that he would turn a blind eye to her existence. But she guessed that loyalty to his king was stronger than his other ties.

She had hoped after the battle that Thorin had come to his senses and would lift her sentence. But then the message began circulating that there was a reward for the discovery of her whereabouts. Just like any common criminal, a reward for her apprehension. She had cried herself to sleep that night and from that point on she had started wearing her ring nearly constantly. And she hated it. The ring seemed to have a strange pull on her, but it also seemed to suck all the joy and light out of her life. And it made her cold, so so cold. The only plus to it was that it seemed to curb her hunger, as food had been harder to come by, mainly what mushrooms she could scavenge in the more abandoned caves.

So when she heard the voices of the company, a flare of panic went through her. She waited complacently until Nori had set her down before she tried to bolt. Much to her disappointment, he snagged her easily by the collar, dragging her into the room. She focused on the floor, unwilling to see the hatred and contempt in the dwarves faces that had become as dear as family to her. 

Nori paused for only a second before dragging her unceremoniously across the room and depositing her in front of a dwarf. Looking up, she was surprised to find Ori in front of her instead of Thorin. Her heart ached at how thin and bedraggled he looked. Instead of hatred and disdain, there was shock and disbelief on his face, his eyes so wide that she thought for a moment that they may fall from his head.

He reached out a trembling hand to her face before falling to his knees and wrapping her in a crushing embrace, his thin frame shaking with his silent sobs. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders, shooting Nori a startled look. This wasn't the reaction that she had expected. Gathering her courage, she raised her head and looked at the other members of the company. All of them were staring at her in shock, a mixture of relief, disbelief, and tears gathered on their faces. She watched as Nori gave a long-suffering sigh and offered a weeping Dori a handkerchief. The two young princes looked like the could be knocked over with a feather, fear and hope mingling so plainly on their faces. Trembling, she opened her arms in invitation, one that they instantly took her up on. They dashed over and embraced her fiercely, only Ori's embrace around her waist keeping her from tumbling over. And then she was in the middle of a dwarven heap as the company all tried to touch her and reassure themselves that she really was there and yes, she was alive and safe.

Feeling just the tiniest drops of hope, Bella let her own tears flow unchecked. 

After several minutes of hugging, Bella started protesting. It was getting hard to breath, being passed back and forth between all the dwarves and cuddled and squeezed like some sort of beloved pet. (And didn't she feel a bit of resentment at that thought). Finally she managed to squeak out. "Hobbit cannot breathe. Please, let me go."

The company chuckled but reluctantly did as she asked, probably assisted by Nori glaring fiercely at them from behind her shoulder. It took both Nori and Dori to pry Ori off of her, muttering something to him so low that she could not hear. She stood there for several seconds, wringing her hands, unsure of what to do, before Balin gently guided her to a seat. "There now, lassie. Sit down and we can talk things over while you eat. It looks like you haven't had a good meal for months."

She allowed herself to be sat and a heaping plate was pushed in front of her. She stared at it for several seconds before slowly picking up her fork. Did this mean that her banishment was lifted or was this more of a last supper before she was thrown into the dungeons and banished from Erebor? Feeling her stomach clench, she set the fork back aside. Bowing her head, she gathered her courage before speaking.

Looking up, she faced Thorin squarely. "Before I eat, I would prefer to know my fate. Is it banishment? Death? Or something else? I will not be able to taste a thing with this hanging over me and I'm sure that Bombur has worked hard to make this meal palatable." She shot Bombur a small smile which the rotund dwarf returned.

Thorin stared at her for a minute with what she privately referred to as his kingly look. He sighed and looked down for only a second before forcing himself to meet her eyes again. "Mistress Baggins, it shames me to admit how poorly I have treated one that has only ever done good for me and mine. The way I treated you is grounds enough for banishment for me at the very least, not to mention that you could have my beard without dispute. I can only offer my most sincere apologies and pray that you will remain here in Erebor and permit me to start working on making amends. You are not banished and if I could go back and take back that horrible day on the battlements, I would do it without hesitation. You have be a loyal companion, just and true, and I have treated you shamefully."

Silence fell over the room as she tried to digest what she had just heard. Her mind reeled at the revelation that she was not to be banished, that Thorin, King under the mountain Thorin, had just basically offered her his beard. She forced out, "But what about the declaration?"

Nori glared at Thorin and muttered to Balin, "I told you that you worded it too carefully."

A faint blush rose on Balin's cheeks, but the dignified dwarf refused to back down. "As you know, Mistress Baggins, dwarrow can be a stubborn lot. We wanted you back home with us where you belong, but we didn't want anyone turning against you for some crime that you were totally innocent of. Would you have rejoined us sooner if it hadn't been for the declaration?"

Feeling dizzy, she shook her head slightly. "I don't know. I thought that you all hated me."

A warm hand rested on the nape of her neck, drawing her from her spiraling towards a full blown panic attack. Looking up, she was surprised to find that it was Ori standing behind her, glaring at the rest of the company. Softening at his unwavering support, Bella felt her trembling ease. Reaching up and patting his hand gently, she smiled reassuringly at him. He swallowed hard and reluctantly removed his hand before claiming the seat next to hers.

Taking a deep breath, Bella felt a wave of relief over her. "Oh you silly dwarves. You always have to make things more complicated. Next time you send a proclamation like that, make sure to include the fact that you are searching for the person out of concern for their well being. As for the rest..." She picked up her fork and waved it around. "Forgiven. We all made mistakes and while I never want to do something like face a dragon again, family is worth it."

Stunned silence met her declaration as she dug into her plate, her appetite returning with a sudden vengeance, all of her missed meals making themselves known by the ferocious rumbling of her stomach. It was Bofur that broke the company's shock, pulling out his pipe and playing a celebratory tune. Fili and Kili joined into the merriment by doing a jig and before she knew it, the whole room had dissolved into the happy chaos that she associated with her dwarves. Smiling at their antics, she simply kept eating.

The only one who wasn't joining in the revelry was Ori sitting silently at her side, watching her intently like he was afraid that she would disappear at any moment. Pausing in her eating, she set aside her fork. Smoothing a wisp of hair from his face, she asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes and leaned into her brief touch before seeming to recollect himself and turning bright red. Fidgeting with his hands, he mumbled, "I thought that you were dead. For weeks, Bella. It's hard to take in that you're really here and that I'm not just dreaming what I so desperately long for."

Her heart clenched at his words. Dead. They'd all thought that she was dead, for weeks now. Thanks to her ring, she had been able to lurk close to where the company was, long enough to hear that all of the Durins were going to be ok. It was only when she heard her name starting to be passed around that she had made herself scarce. She studied Ori closer. The young scribe was thinner than he had even been during the quest, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair hanging lankly from his head. Amazed that Dori had allowed such neglect to happen, she turned her eyes towards the mithril haired dwarf. But he bore the same signs of exhaustion and neglect. Turning to the next dwarf and the next, she covered her mouth as she saw the signs on every member of her company, the hardship and uncertainty etched clearly to see for anyone that had cared to look. However, there was a liveliness to them now, a happiness that seemed to have been long absent.

Turning back to Ori, she whispered thickly, "But I'm just a plain hobbit lass that has been lost ever since she set foot from her hobbit hole."

Ori shot to his feet, his eyes blazing sparks. "You're not lost! You're here, home where you belong. The company would've never made it to Erebor without you and I'll fight any dwarf who says otherwise."

Nori suddenly appeared behind the incensed dwarf and shoved a mug of ale into his hands, forcing him to take it or have it spill all over him. He looked at Bella warningly, "Our wee burglar is going nowhere. She's home now and that's where she'll stay. We've already got a room of your own all fixed up for you. It's rather plain but you can fix it up in a blink."

Bella covered her mouth with her hands, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Losing his ire, Ori turned to Nori in a panic. "You made her cry. What did you say? Fix it."

This caught the rest of the company's attention and they closed back around her, arguing over what to do. Accepting a handkerchief from Dori, she let out a watery chuckle. "It's all right, Ori. He didn't say anything wrong."

Bofur piped up, "Then what did he say that's got ya all weepy, lass?"

Offering them a large smile, she answered, "He said that I'm home, that there's a place for me." The dwarves all nodded fervently at this. Taking a deep breath, she finally confessed the secret burden that she had been carrying since she'd left Bag End. "You see, when I left the Shire, I knew that I could never return there. It is simply not done to go on adventures and my reputation would be in tatters. I would be shunned, a pariah. I had hoped that I might be able to stay in Erebor, but I knew that that might be asking for too much."

Thorin looked poleaxed. "You mean, you knew when you signed the contract that you would be losing your home?" She nodded. "And after the goblin tunnels, why didn't you say anything?"

She sniffed haughtily. "You had told me again and again that I was nothing but a burden. I wasn't about to air how desperate my situation truly was. Besides, I was somewhat traumatized by that insane game of riddles I had to play with that nightmare creature. And with everything that happened after, well, there was never really a right time or place to bring it up."

Thorin hung his head. "If Dis were here, she'd truly have my beard for how poorly I've treated you. I promise you, you will have a home here in Erebor for as long as I or any member of this company lives. And if the hobbits are foolish enough to cast you out for helping us recover our home, then I say be done with them. Any of us would be proud to call you kin."

A dangerous glint in his eye, Nori inserted himself in between Thorin and Bella. His words were careful but firm when he spoke, "In case you've forgotten, yer majesty, the Ri's have already claimed her thusly."

Thorin nodded and wisely backed off. But before he went, he looked Bella square in the eye and said seriously, "I know that it will take time to mend the trust that has been broken between us. But I beg of you, give us a chance to prove worthy again in your eyes. If nothing else, at least give us until Spring before you decide whether to stay or leave."

As much as she would love to say that everything would be fine, Bella knew that it would take time for her to forget her dwarves falling victim to gold thrall ending with Thorin dangling her from the battlements. So instead of brashly vowing that everything was ok, she merely inclined her head in acquiescence. He nodded and returned to his seat, signalling for the rest of the company to do so as well. Bella ate slowly, allowing the chatter of the dwarves to wash over her.

Knowing that Thorin had lifted the banishment against her and that the company did not in fact hate her, she felt as if the gigantic burden that she had been carrying for months had finally been lifted from her. The combination of relief and a full belly caused her to sway, feeling both lightheaded and exhausted. Oin had obviously been watching her closely because he bustled over and bellowed, "C'mon lassie, let's check you out and then you can get some rest."

She blinked blearily at him. "Why do I need to be checked out?"

Oin grunted, "What? Quit mumbling."

She repeated her question louder and he stared at her like she'd lost what little sense she might've possessed. "Have ye seen a healer since the battle?" Thinking back over it, she shook her head no. "Then you need to be checked out and I won't be taking no for an answer."

He helped her out of her chair and swept her out of the room. When the rest of the company made to follow, he bellowed, "You'll see her for breakfast. Now leave the lass be."

Bella glanced back as the door closed to see the company retaking their seats, reluctance writ large on their faces. Oin shook his head, "No better than pebbles, that lot. Now that we've found you and now that you know that that pup doesn't want to kill you, why would you want to run away? This way."

He led her swiftly through the halls until they reached the infirmary. Having her disrobe, he quickly looked her over, pronouncing her fit but much too skinny. He tutted over the various scars that she had picked up over the course of the journey and from the Battle of the Five Armies. The worst was the healing slice on her forearm. Thankfully Thorin's gift of the mithril mail had saved her several times. Oin told her to eat more and get some rest and let her go, commanding her to be at breakfast and not make a liar out of him.

Fleeing the healer, Bella slipped out of the infirmary to find the Ri brothers waiting for her. She smiled at them uncertainly. Seeming shy, Dori held up a small bundle. We thought that you might like to get cleaned up. There's a bathing room that the company has fixed for our use and I have some clean clothes that should fit well enough." He frowned at her. "Although we might have to put in some tucks until you get some weight back on you."

Feeling suddenly unbearably dirty, Bella nodded vigorously, "Yes please! I haven't had a bath in ages."

Nori chuckled, "Aye, you're a bit ripe there, lass."

Ori glared and kicked him in the shin. Smiling, Bella looped her arm through Ori's arm. "C'mon, show me where this marvelous bath is."

Although the young scribe's cheeks reddened, he lifted his head proudly and led the way, explaining quietly all the work that had been done. When he told her that there would be hot water, she exclaimed, "Hot water?! Oh, I could kiss you!" 

Hearing this, he suddenly tripped, dropping Bella's arm and almost face planting on the floor, only saved by Dori's quick reflexes. Nori laughed and Bella giggled quietly at the stunned expression on Ori's face. This caused the lad to turn even more red until it reminded her of her prize winning tomatoes. Forcing herself to stop laughing, she apologized. "I'm sorry, Ori. I'm just more tired than I thought. But I long to be clean."

This got them back into motion and they reached the bathing room in little time. After showing her how to run the water, the three males shuffled out, promising to stay right outside if she needed anything. She nodded absently, already bubbling with anticipation of being clean. Running the water as hot as she could stand, she scrubbed vigorously until her skin was bright red but clean. It took three times of washing to remove all the grime from her hair although it was still hopelessly tangled and snarled. Flicking it over her shoulder, she pushed it aside as a worry for another day. 

Finally clean, she allowed herself to soak in the enormous tub, glorying in the fact of being full, clean, and warm for what seemed like the first time in forever. The water was full of minerals, causing her tired and sore muscles to relax. She was unsure how much time had passed before someone pounded on the door. After a second, the door cracked and Nori called, "Lass, are you ok? Dori's worried that you've fallen asleep and drowned in there."

Feeling fully relaxed, she called, "I'm all right, just enjoying the water. I'll be out in just a minute."

"No rush, namith. Whenever you're ready." He pulled the door closed again.

A thin thread of guilt coursed through her of having left the Ri's waiting in a corridor while she bathed, although she was mainly relaxed and sleepy. Climbing out, she dried off and dressed in the clothes that Dori had provided. She was amazed and a little baffled at how well they fit, although they were clearly sized for a less thin hobbit lass. Reluctantly tearing a strip off her ruined shirt, she used it as a make shift belt. Bundling up the rest of her clothes, she made her way out into the corridor.

Nori joked, "So there is a hobbit lass under all that grime."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Just for that, you get to carry my dirty clothes."

He nodded and his eyes were sincere when he said, "Gladly." He nipped the bundle from her before she could protest that she'd been merely teasing.

Shrugging, she said, "So, where will I be staying for tonight?"

Dori looped her arm through his. "Why, with us of course. Thorin gifted us with a large set of rooms. We have one ready and waiting for you. It's rather masculine but we can fix it up however you want." His face was discontented over the fact that it wasn't perfect for her.

She rested her head briefly against his shoulder. "Whatever it's like, I'm sure that it's wonderful. It'll be nice to be able to sleep in a bed again."

All three males traded grim looks at this and she mentally kicked herself over her verbal faux pas. Searching for something, anything, to break the sudden tension, she blurted out, "Nori, can I borrow a knife?"

"And what would you be needing a knife for?"

"I need to cut my hair, it is snarled beyond all saving."

Ori and Nori turned stricken expressions on her while Dori thundered, "Absolutely not!"

She sighed. In the few weeks apart, she'd forgotten how ridiculous dwarrow were about their hair. "Nadad, it's tangled beyond help. It will grow again, I promise you."

His expression determined, Dori shook his head. "No. I will untangle it myself. I don't care how long it takes, you are not cutting a single strand of your hair."

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "I don't think you understand how contrary and impossible hobbit hair is."

Walking backwards, Nori said, "Lass, namith, your hair is a dwarf's envy, that it is, so golden and curly. It would be a crying shame to cut it and how would we be able to put in braids telling the world that you are ours if your hair is short?"

Ori pleaded quietly, "Please Bella, at least let Dori try. He works magic with hair and." He swallowed hard and gathered his courage before continuing. "And I think that your hair is beautiful. I would hate to see it cut."

Blushing unexpectedly over Ori's heartfelt words, Bella silently nodded her compliance, unable to form intelligible words. Nori caught this and nudged Dori, winking and nodding back and forth between the blushing scribe and the blushing hobbit. Dori smiled, suddenly feeling much more settled and like everything was actually going to be all right.

They reached the Ri caverns in short order and Bella was swiftly ushered inside. A small fire roared on the hearth and there were several armchairs scattered around it, giving it a pleasantly homey feel. Dori gently deposited her into one with a low back before bustling off. Before she could ask where he'd gone, he was back with a comb and a bottle of some sort of oil. Setting the oil aside, he turned her back towards the fire. "No need for you to get a chill after bathing."

Settling herself more comfortably, she asked, "What's the oil for?"

Eyeing her hair carefully, he finally picked a section and started carefully brushing out the very end. "That's for if your hair should prove more stubborn than I'm anticipating. I'm still convinced that I won't need it. You should've seen Nori's and then Ori's hair when they were pebbles. This is nowhere near as bad as theirs could get. There was one time that Nori's was tangled so badly that I was half convinced that I would have to shave him bald. Thankfully, there's nothing more stubborn than a dwarrow and he was spared from that fate."

Smiling at the thought of a bald Nori, Bella relaxed and let Dori work, the meal, the bath, and the warm fire all conspiring to make her drowse while he worked. Ori pulled out some knitting and was working in a companionable silence at her feet. Nori appeared to be fiddling with some sort of complicated little device but she wasn't exactly sure what it was as her eyes kept drifting shut. It had been so long since someone had brushed her hair, not since her mother had passed had someone taken care of her. Dori worked gently through the snarls so she barely felt a tug, although she occasionally heard him grumble in frustrated Khuzdul under his breath when he hit a particularly stubborn knot. Still, he was true to his word and managed to untangle her hair without resorting to the oil.

He shook her gently awake from her doze when he finished, "There, all done namadith. See for yourself."

Sitting up with a yawn, she carefully ran her fingers through her hair, marveling at how silky smooth it was. "Dori, you are a miracle worker. I shall never doubt you again." Standing, she was amazed to find that her curls fell to her waist. Stretching, she yawned again and asked, "Do you want to braid it?"

Dori chuckled before hugging her gently. "You honor me, but not tonight. We'll let it dry fully and braid it tomorrow. You need to get to bed, you're asleep on your feet." She sleepily followed him to the chamber that he informed her was hers. Bidding the Ri's a mumbled goodnight, she staggered over to the bed and collapsed onto it. She felt someone tuck her under the covers but she was already fading away into darkness.

* * *

Nori and Dori made their way back out to the sitting room once they were satisfied that Bella was comfortably settled. Her head had barely hit the pillow before she was asleep. While this grieved Dori, he consoled himself with the fact that she was safely back with them and he could take care of her from this point forward. Which led him to his next task. Snagging Nori before he could disappear, he pushed him firmly back into a chair. Nori narrowed his eyes curiously at him and he nodded towards Ori. With an understanding nod, Nori settled without protesting.

Quickly brewing a pot of tea, he rejoined his brothers, having used the time to pull his thoughts together. He asked, "How did you find her? How did you even know she was still alive?"

Nori fired back, "Why did you make a coat for her?" When he refused to answer, Nori continued. "I didn't know if the lass was alive or not. But I hoped that she was. I've been searching for weeks without even so much as a lead. It was pure luck that I even managed to find her today. I was cutting through a blocked off cavern when I saw her sitting dangling her feet off the edge of a bridge, as pretty as you please. Thought I was seeing things at first, that I did. Been looking for so long, without a trace. Once I convinced meself that I wasn't mad and truly seeing what I thought I saw, I pounced on her double quick. She still believed that Thorin wanted her gone, so I had to haul her back." He shuddered, "I hope that the Lady Dis never finds out about my actions, although if she does, I hope that she'll go for Thorin first and give me time to escape."

Dori tsked but couldn't blame Nori for his methods. He knew well how slippery the little hobbit lass was and if he hadn't carried her, she would've been gone quicker than his brother could blink. As it was, it was a miracle that Bella had been returned to them safe and sound. A little thin, but that was something that they could fix with a little bit of time and patience. Knowing that he wouldn't get anything more from Nori, he turned his attention to his youngest brother.

Ori had finished whatever it was he had been working on and tucked it back away in a pocket. Although the younger dwarf was much too thin, there was a light back in his eyes that made relief flow through Dori. It had been hard enough losing Bella, but the thought of losing Ori, the pebble that he had cared for as if his own, had been too much for him to contemplate. Picking up the comb that he had used for Bella, he gestured the scribe over.

Sighing, Ori did as he was bid, settling in at Dori's feet. Easing the comb through the younger dwarf's hair, Dori started tugging it into a semblance of order. "Nadadith, we need to talk."

Looking at his fingers, Ori mumbled, "Bout what?"

"About Bella. Specifically about Bella and you."

He flushed but lifted his chin defiantly. Dori rapped him on the head to warn him to hold still. "What about us?"

Nori leaned forward, "Is she yer One? Or do you just fancy her?"

With a calm maturity that surprised his brothers, Ori said quietly, "Does it matter which way it is? I obviously care for her."

They thought that over in silence while Dori finished his hair. Finishing, he let Ori go. "It doesn't matter so much. But we always wanted to see you happy with your One. However, very few dwarves are blessed to meet their One and after we lost so many after the fall of Erebor and our wanderings, there's many a dwarf that will never meet their One until they meet in Mahal's halls."

Nori puffed thoughtfully on his pipe. "Aye, none of us can be sure whether we'll meet that other part of our soul. But above all else, lad. We just want your happiness."

Ori stood and moved over to another armchair, smiling warmly at his brothers. "I know that you want the best for me. And the truth is, Bella is my One. Why Mahal chose to pair me with such a bonny lass I'll never know, but I thank the Maker. But this subject is between Bella and I. I have to court her and win her myself, without your help, as any grown dwarrow must win their intended."

They both stared at him speechless before Nori got a wicked grin. "Ah, but you're forgetting something, nadadith."

A stubborn expression crossed his face. "And what is it that I am forgetting?"

"We've claimed the lass as kin, so we're technically her guardians. If you want to court the lass, you're going to have to go through us."

Ori groaned, "You can't be serious?"

Dori fixed him with a gimlet eye. "Oh, but we are. And if you are intending to court her properly, then be prepared to deal with us like you would any dwarf whose sister you are planning to court. Especially dwarves whose sister has been through a rather rough patch of late. I'm warning you, Ori, son of Kori, that you will need to follow proper courting to the letter to win our permission to wed our sister. As it is, you'll have to take it slow, as we don't know what the lass has been through in our time apart."

Ori swallowed hard but straightened his shoulders. He scoffed, "As if I would ever do anything less. Bella deserves every honor."

Nori and Dori exchanged approving looks. Although there was few things that the two saw eye to eye on, Ori was one of them most of the time. It seemed like the small dwarfling that they had raised had finally become a full fledged dwarf and a fine one at that. Dori asked, "When do you plan on asking to court Bella?"

Ori huffed. "When the time is right. As you said, we don't know what she went through. Don't worry, I'll let you know before I speak to her."

Dori sighed, "Don't fuss at me, nadadith. I just need to know what braids to to braid into her hair tomorrow."

Flushing for the umpteenth time that evening, Ori said quietly, "Just braid in kinsman braids at this time. A daughter of the line of Ri. We'll figure out the rest from there."

Rising, Nori tapped out the embers from his pipe into the fireplace. He said thoughtfully, "There hasn't been a daughter of the line of Ri for many generations now. We've been blessed. Well, I'm off to get some rest. Family's all back together as it should be, so I need some sleep before I get back to some things that I've been neglecting." Without waiting for the other two to reply, he made his way into his room and quietly shut the door.

Ori stared after him in confusion and Dori chuckled, "Just because he doesn't fuss like I do doesn't mean that family isn't every bit as important to him. C'mon, we should turn in as well. There's still just as much to do tomorrow, plus we need to get Bella properly settled. I have a feeling that she'll be much more spirited after a good night's sleep."

Ori smiled at this thought. He nodded and said quietly, "You go ahead and go, I'll turn in as soon as I finish this last little bit."

Waiting until Dori had disappeared into his room, Ori fished out his journal and pen. It was filled with half finished sketches of Bella, his heart too heavy to finish them. Ignoring them, he quickly flipped to a blank page, his fingers itching to get the picture of Bella standing in the firelight with her hair tumbling in loose curls down her back onto paper as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've survived April Fool's Day, although I think what's going on right now is more unbelievable than any prank that could possibly be pulled. 
> 
> Praying for your safety, strength, and healing. We are strong together!


	3. Starting Again

Dori was up early, having finally managed to get a restful night's sleep for the first time since the battle. Still, as early as he was up, there were still dwarves waiting to speak with him. Some of the company had been up all night, crafting beads for Bella. He had accepted them but warned them that he would let Bella decide which, if any of them, to wear. He also warned them that it might take time for her to warm back up to them after everything that had happened. Each of the proud dwarves had merely nodded and left.

Gloin had just left when Nori emerged from his rooms, looking perkier than Dori had seen him look in quite a while. Dori smiled at him, "Good morning, nadad. Breakfast?"

Sliding onto a stool at the counter, Nori nodded, "I'll take some coffee but I think I'll breakfast with the company this morning."

Dori raised an eyebrow at him but kept his silence, merely sliding him the coffee he had requested. Nori never ate breakfast with the company. His tasks as spymaster kept him so busy that it was fortunate if he ate with the company once or twice a week. Although, how much of that had been his duties and how much had been searching for Bella? Dori had been convinced that she had fallen on the field of battle and he had never been so happy to be proven wrong. The Ri's had lost so much over the years, to be forced to lose a sister and for Ori to lose his One, Dori didn't know if his nadad would've made it through the winter or if he would've lost his will to live entirely. It happened sometimes, with dwarves. Although they were built to endure, it was impossible for some to live without their heart. Watching Ori slowly fade, the dwarf he had practically raised as his own, had killed him inside, Nori as well. Dori knew that they had their differences, especially in how to raise their baby brother. But he knew that if there were anything wrong or something was threatening Ori, Nori would be there in a heartbeat defending him as ferociously as Dori would be. But the slow fading had been something that they couldn't fight, they couldn't will him to live although they had done their best to care for him.

Dori raised an eyebrow at him. "Wanting to see the fireworks?"

Nori grinned, "Ah, so I'm not the only one that thinks the lass will come out swinging now that she has some food in her belly and sleep under her belt? Although she forgave us easily enough, we all know that she has a temper and woe to any dwarf foolish enough to forget that or get in her way when she's on the warpath. And she doesn't act hastily. Do you remember how long it took for her to get Kili back for pranking her? She waited until the lad had been lulled into a false sense of security and then wham, he never knew what hit him. That trap was truly a thing of beauty and walked the fine line between a serious reprimand and good natured enough that no one got hurt. The lass is an artist."

Dori sighed, "I don't suppose I can get you to curb your behavior around our sister any more than you do around Ori."

Nori chuckled, "I'll do my best, nadad. I'll take it at her pace. She may come out as a little fire brand or she might be brittle for a while. But I vow this, I will never abandon her or leave her in danger. I'm just so relieved that I found her before she managed to disappear forever. It seems that her claims of being the undisputed queen of hide and seek was not bravado."

Hearing movement in the other room, he hastily clamped his mouth shut. However, it was just Ori. The younger dwarf appeared from his room, his posture more awake and alert than it had been in weeks. His hair and clothes were meticulously groomed and his face actually had color for the first time in much too long. Nori passed him a cup of coffee while Dori asked, "Restful sleep?"

Ori grinned at them. "Best rest I can remember since the quest started. What are your plans for today?"

Nori shrugged, "I've been out of touch with some people that I really need to talk to. Probably won't see much of me today but I'll try to be back by evening tonight." Both of his brothers gaped at him, he was a free spirit and he seldom if ever told anyone his comings and goings. Sighing, he elaborated, "Our sister is home and she needs some care. I'll probably be around more until she gets her feet under her, unless something big really comes up."

Dori nodded approvingly at him. "I'll be busy today altering Bella's wardrobe. The lass is much too thin so I'll have to add some tucks to her things until she can fill out again. What about you, nadadith?"

Ori shrugged, "I thought I'd let Bella decide. She doesn't have any assigned duties that we know of right now. I thought that I would invite her to come to the library. She'd be very useful in translating some Sindarian texts that we have there. But if she has other responsibilities, I'll stay with her if she allows it. The archives won't disappear if I'm absent for one day."

Bella emerged from her room yawning and raised an eyebrow at her family. "I'm not going to disappear if you take your eyes off of me for a minute. Nori'll just track me down again and he can be inventive if he's unhappy with a person. Plus, it would be a shame to let that fine bed go to waste. It's more comfortable than the mattresses at Bag's End, you'll have to share the secret of how they're made. I haven't slept so well in ages." 

Making her way over to where the others were sitting, she plopped down on the stool next to Dori and turned her back to him.

Dori said cautiously, "Bella?"

Her voice was thick with sleep as she mumbled, "You said that you'd braid it this morning. If you don't, it'll be all tangles everywhere."

Her back was turned so she didn't see either the brilliant smile that crossed Dori's face or the sheen of tears in his eyes.

He cleared his throat, but his voice was still thick with emotion as he said, "Ah yes, of course. Ori, please fetch the comb."

Seemingly unaware of the emotion rioting through the three dwarves, Bella propped her head on her elbow and warned, "It'll be worse than it was last night. I forgot to braid it before I went to sleep, not that I remember falling asleep, and that always means that I wake up a bush in the morning. Why do you think I kept it so short?"

Nori chuckled, a roguish gleam in his eyes, "I always thought that it was a vain attempt to keep suitors away."

She snorted, "Suitors, right."

Ori scowled before catching himself and handing the comb over to Dori who started to draw it gently through her hair. Nori didn't want to let the conversation drop, so he prodded, "So, no lovelorn lads waiting for you back in the Shire?"

She scoffed, "Not hardly, I was too much of a Took like my mother, too independent. The only ones who wanted to court me were after my money and I wanted nothing to do with that sort."

All three dwarves stared at her in disbelief, Dori's hands stilling momentarily before resuming their motion. Nori said blithely, "Well then, those Shire lads must be blind. You're a comely, winsome lass with a bit of fire to her. Exactly the right fit for us, you are. And once the other dwarves get a good look at you, we're going to be beating off suitors with a stick."

Bella offered him a crooked grin, "That's sweet of you, Nori, but I think that I'm quite happy with being single for now."

Noting the crestfallen expression on the youngest dwarf's face, Dori quickly changed the subject. "All combed out, now we just have to decide what you want to do with your hair." He paused before continuing, "Most of the company has been here already with beads that they brought for you, but it is entirely up to you if you wear all the beads, some of the beads, or none at all. It's entirely up to you."

She had come to realize what the beads had come to mean over the course of the quest and it warmed her heart that they had created beads for her, but... She said hesitantly, "I think that I'll wait for a little while until I decide one way or another. So much has happened and I just haven't had time to process anything. For right now, let's just use one that marks me as of the house of Ri and leave it at that." She was silent for a moment before asking, "Do I have to wear them in my hair?"

Dori started weaving her hair into the braids that she had requested, "It's traditional but you don't have to do anything, namad. What are you thinking?"

She fidgeted slightly. "I still care deeply for the company and I'm touched that they made beads for me. I was thinking that I could take a cord or thin chain of some sort and wear the beads like a necklace for now. Is that ok or would that be taboo?"

Dori fastened the clasp etched with the Ri family mark on it in her hair and stepped back. "There, all done. That's a perfectly good idea. I'm sure that we'll be able to find a chain for you."

She felt her hair with delicate fingers, marveling over the intricacy of the braids. "A fine chain if possible. I think cord would wear through and I've seen the kind of heavy chains that dwarves wear. I would fall over from the weight."

Ori piped up, "That's because you've seen the chains that male dwarves wear. Dwarrowdams wear much more delicate jewelry. Much more intricate, but more delicate."

Bella smiled at him, "But I'm a hobbit, so please keep it fairly simple. I wish I had a mirror so I could see this. It feels beautiful but it's secure at the same time."

Nori snickered, "Well, it wouldn't be good if we constantly had our hair falling into our faces or into the forge. Trust me, the smell of burning hair is something that you will never forget."

Bella wrinkled her nose at him, making him laugh harder. Her stomach chose that moment to rumble and she colored. The three dwarves hastily jumped to their feet. "Breakfast should be ready now, shall we head out?"

Laughing, Bella nodded. "Let's go, I'm starving!"

Making their way through the halls, Bella turned to Ori and asked, "Did I hear you say something about archives?"

Ori nodded, "Thorin put me in charge of the restoration of the library. If you'd like, I could always use a hand, especially with translating those that are in Sindarian."

Her eyes sparkled at hearing this. "While I would like to help with the fields around Erebor, dwarves still need to eat and there's nothing as good as fresh produce." She ignored Ori's grimace at this. "There's still months yet until I could do that. I would love to have the chance to work with these books. But what about me not being able to learn Khuzdul?"

Nori shrugged, "That's not a problem. You've been claimed as kin, which means that you can learn all the Khuzdul your little heart desires."

She stopped walking and whirled to face him. "Are you serious?" Taken aback by the fierce look on her face, Nori wordlessly nodded. She threw her arms around his neck in a choking hug, giving a squeal of glee. Looking totally nonplussed, an unusual look for the normally sly dwarf, he hesitantly patted her on the back. However, she quickly let him go and did the same to both Dori and Ori. Nori snickered at the smitten look on Ori's face. Before any of them could pull themselves together to adequately respond, she was off down the hall, fairly bouncing in her glee.

All three dwarves just stared after her before shaking their heads and hurrying after her. Would they ever understand hobbits or even just understand women? Somehow, they doubted it.

* * *

The company had been gathered in the dining hall for hours, half believing that they had dreamed of the return of the tiny hobbit lass. Bombur had outdone himself with the limited rations and produced a meal worthy of a feast. However, he was so anxious that he wasn't eating anything, just rearranging the food every few minutes. Bofur and Bifur were whittling, a pile of wood shavings growing steadily around them. Gloin was rattling on about his Gimli to an uninterested Oin who was busy grinding herbs to restock his healers kit. Fili and Kili were tucked away in a corner whispering back and forth under their breath. Dwalin kept a weather eye on them while he sharpened his axes, the steady scrape of the whetstone soothing to him. Balin appeared to be the least affected, sitting in a chair going over a large stack of documents, but Dwalin noted that he was going much slower than his regular pace. Thorin was seated next to Balin going over the documents that his chief advisor handed him, but he was reading at a snail's pace and glancing towards the door every few minutes.

When the door slammed open and Bella bounced in, they all scrambled to their feet. She beamed at the company and practically skipped over to the table. Propping her hands on her hips, she surveyed the table, breathing in deeply. She beamed at the portly ginger dwarf and exclaimed, "You've outdone yourself! I know hobbits that would weep for a chance to try your cooking."

Bombur blushed while Bofur and Bifur beamed at her. Glancing around at everyone else she asked, "Are we waiting for something or can we go ahead and eat?"

Handing the papers back to Balin who swept the stack off the table, Thorin said, "We were just waiting for the last of the company. Please, eat."

She smiled at him and plopped down into the nearest chair, quickly pulling the closest dishes over to herself and serving herself a generous portion. This caused the dwarves to chuckle, but she simple shrugged and passed the dish down the table before reaching for the next one. There was a clatter as the rest of the dwarves joined her at the table. She found herself seated between Dori and Nori and couldn't bring herself to mind their overprotective hovering. She had missed her family dreadfully these past two months.

Conversation was slow to start but eventually it picked up speed and everyone joined in. Bella mainly ate, concentrating on her meal, although she slipped a few sly quips in here and there. It was only when the meal was drawing to a close that she spoke up. "Thorin, what duties do you have for me? My contract has been fulfilled. However, if I am to make Erebor my home, then I will need to pull my share as well."

Both she and Thorin ignored the roar of protests that of course Erebor was her home. Waiting until the commotion had died down, Thorin asked, "Are you sure that you do not wish to return to the Shire? I will not fault you for that, especially after the way I treated you at our last meeting. But know this, the halls of Erebor are always open to you."

Her words were measured as she replied, "I will not lie, it will take time to get past the trauma from that day. I cannot give you a day when I will be able to put it fully behind us and resume the companionship that we had before. But I know that I am willing to try. Truthfully, if I return to the Shire, there is nothing but shame and social outcast there for me. Hobbits do not go on adventures, especially respectable hobbits like Baggins. Even more so, respectable hobbit lasses do not go on adventures with thirteen men unchaperoned for over a year. My reputation in the Shire is in tatters and I can never return there. Also, it means that I would have to leave my family." Softening at the last bit, she reached up and touched her braid.

Instead of the uproar she expected, silence fell over the company. It was Dwalin who spoke up, surprising her, "Did ya know when you signed the contract that ye would lose your home?"

He stared intently at her and she sighed. "Yes, but it was my choice to make. The reason that I was late that morning was because I had just turned over the key and deed to my cousin Primula. She'll make sure that Bag End is well cared for and loved like it should be."

Ori said, "But you said that your father built it for your mother."

The dwarves murmured back and forth in rapid Khuzdul at this information. Bella itched to know what they were saying but contented herself with the knowledge that she would learn it soon enough. She said firmly, "It was MY choice. No one held a knife to my throat and forced me to sign. No one forced me to hand over the deed. The truth is, my parents would've wanted me to be happy and all that was left in Bag End for me was ghosts and loneliness. Prim promised to send a few items that I personally cherish to me when I found somewhere to live, but there was very little that I'll truly miss from there."

Thorin paled as she spoke. Rising, he made his way over to where she sat, "So, when I banished you from Erebor, I took away the only home you had and basically threw you into the wilderness without any supplies or way to survive."

Feeling her throat tighten and traitorous tears prick at the corner of her eyes, she nodded.

Unsheathing his belt dagger, he flipped it and offered the hilt to her. "There is no excuse for my actions. I have wronged you grievously. I offer you my beard. My honor is yours."

Huffing out an exasperated laugh, Bella rolled her eyes. "Why are you dwarves always so dramatic? You're the king, Thorin. You don't need to lose everything just because you tried to get rid of a traitor."

He shook his head. "No. Let us be honest with each other. You have always been loyal to me and my company, even though you had no need to be. You have stuck with us through thick and thin, fought at our sides, which makes us shield brethren. You are also a dam, which are treasured in our culture. I have behaved poorly in this aspect as well, although it looks like you are finally being properly cared for by your brothers. It was my gold sickness that drove you to your actions, desperate to save all of us from the path of destruction that you saw us heading down. The king should never be above his people and the laws. Too long has my family done this. Maybe if Thror had a loyal companion willing to speak truth to him, this would not have happened in the first place. But by the time anyone had the courage to speak, it was already too late. I refuse to let the line of Durin go down that path again, not when the cost is too high to pay. So again, I offer you my beard."

She took the dagger and looked at him weighingly, turning his words over in her head. After several minutes, she offered the dagger back to him. "I find you to be truly repentant and your heart to be sincere. Be a better king than those that came before you, Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror. I know that you care for your people, listen to them and let them guide you as you guide them. I return to you your beard and your honor, for although you have erred, you are an honorable dwarf." Then she went and ruined it by adding, "Now go sit down and quit hovering over me."

Thorin took the dagger and grinned her wryly. "As Gandalf warned me repeatedly, never underestimate hobbits because they will always surprise you. Your forgiveness is foreign to me, but I find that I am grateful for it." Placing his hand over his heart, he bowed regally to her before going back to his seat.

Bella had to hide a smile. Dwarves tended to be dramatic over the oddest things, although she had spoken the truth that it would take time for the memory of the battlements to fade away entirely. Looking wistfully at the food still sitting on the table, Bella reluctantly pushed her plate away. After the Fell Winter, they had learned the hard lesson of trying to eat too much too soon. It would take a few weeks of regular meals before her body would be able to handle food like it had before. She absently made a mental note to share the information with Bombur and Ori, in case the dwarves returning to Erebor had similar issues. Everyone had been without for so long, that it would take time and common sense to set things right, maybe even talk to Oin.

Thorin's voice drew her from her thoughts, "What are your plans for today, Mistress Baggins?"

She sighed, "I thought that I told you to call me Bella." He just looked at her expectantly. "Do you have any duties that you need me to oversee?"

"I had hoped that you would oversee the planting and growing, but that is months off yet. The choice is up to you as to your duties until then. Or you could rest and recover until you feel ready to start."

She said tartly, "My strength may not be equal to a dwarf's, but I doubt that any of you got that offer, even those injured in the battle."

Thorin sighed, looking resigned. He had apparently forgotten how stubborn she could be. "Needs must. We had to get everyone inside Erebor before the storms came. We made as many allowances for the injured that we could. But things have settled since then and things are no longer so dire that the injured cannot take the time to rest that they need to recover. Plus, you are a dam. You will find that more allowances are made for you."

"I still find that so odd. In the Shire, women are expected to work just as hard as the men, often while caring for a large family as well."

Bofur grinned at her, "Our women are so few, we treasure them, lass. I mean, just look at this table. There's 14 of us here and you the only lass, at least until the lads mother arrives, as well as Gloin and Bombur's wives."

She couldn't help grinning back at the cheerful miner. Turning back to Thorin, she admitted reluctantly, "I'm afraid that you're right, I'm not quite in top condition. However, I can still work. I would like to help Ori put the library back into working order for now, at least until winter is over."

Thorin nodded, "That would be extremely helpful. Look for any old treaties that you might find. We will need help and allies while we regain our strength."

Standing, she waited for Ori to join her before leaving. She couldn't wait to get her hands on a book again.

* * *

Ori led the way to the library, his mind working overtime. He had roughly three or four months until she would switch over to her farming tasks. Three or four months of spending every day side by side. It as a prime opportunity to start his campaign to win her heart or at least the opportunity to court her. His brothers always told him that he was a clever dwarf. He could do this. Wracking his brain for where to start, he remembered her excitement over learning Khuzdul.

Gathering his courage, he asked quietly, "How about a trade? I teach you Khuzdul and you can teach me Sindarian?"

She focused on him, "You'd want to learn an elvish language?"

He nodded firmly, "All knowledge is worth learning. You never know what will make a difference or not. Plus, if I'm called to scribe for a meeting, I'll be able to record any private conversations they may try to sneak into the negotiations."

"I didn't know that scribes did that."

He boasted slightly, knowing that this made him fractionally more suitable of a catch, "Thorin promoted me to royal scribe. It'll be my job to record down everything in council meetings and diplomatic meetings."

She grinned at him, "That's incredible, Ori, I knew that you had it in you. But it sounds like you'll be busy. How will you have time to restore the library?"

Was it wishful thinking on his part or did she sound a little disappointed about how busy he was going to be? "Most of the council isn't here yet, they won't arrive until the caravans come in the spring. And with the snows, it makes diplomatic meetings hard, although I have to be present once a week for the one between Thorin and Bard. We'll just have to get as much done as we can before spring takes us to other duties."

They reached the grand library and he opened the door just enough for them to slip inside. She covered her mouth with her hand, but he didn't think that it was happy shock. He said cheerfully, "It's a mess, isn't it? Dwalin and Balin took one look and headed right back out the door. However, the damage isn't too bad, I don't think Smaug ever actually made it in here, as nothing is burnt. It'll just take some time to set thing right."

She nodded. The library was dim, lit only by the single lantern that he had been carrying. From what little she could make out in the gloom, bookshelves have been knocked over or collapsed, tomes and scrolls scattered far and wide, not to mention the debris and heavy coating of dust and grim on every surface. She could see a small space cleared on one of the large tables nearest the doors, but other than that, barely any progress had been made.

She almost sighed before she stopped herself. This was solvable, the trick was to do it in small pieces at a time. Rolling up her sleeves, she pulled out a large handkerchief and tied it over her braids. Smiling at the hesitant scribe, she said, "All right, lots to do. Why don't we start off by seeing if we can figure out how to get some more light in here. My eyes aren't as good in dimness as dwarven eyes and surely the librarians and scribes didn't work in the dark. There must've been a way to light at least the main part of the room. Once we figure that out, we can go from there."

It took some time, but eventually they located the giant oil lamps that hung from the ceiling that would've been lit to provide the light. Several of them had fallen during the desolation or afterwards, but there were still three or four usable ones. Once they figured out how to lower them, they ran into the next problem. The lamps were empty. Knowing that the supply had probably been close to refill the lamps and hoping against hope that there were some left, they set off in search of it together as there was only the one lantern between them. Bella stuck close to Ori, slightly unnerved by the dark cavernous space.

They made their way around the edge of the room, having to backtrack several times to get around debris or fallen shelves. Finally they found the storeroom that held the barrels. Holding her breath, she nudged the first one and was excited to hear the slosh of liquid inside. She moved onto the next one and repeated it. After a few minutes, it was established that there were a dozen barrels in the room, two of them smashed, three of them empty, and seven were full of oil. Propping her hands on her hips, she frowned as she tried to figure out what to do next. There had probably been a cleaning crew in charge of refilling the lamps, so how in the world were they going to move a full barrel of oil?

Ori had been watching her closely. "What's wrong, Bella?"

She sighed, "These barrels probably weigh a ton. How in the world are we going to get them back over to the lamps? Maybe we should find a bucket and just make several trips."

He grinned, "Oh, that's easy. Here." Handing her the lantern, he bent over and easily lifted a barrel. She felt her jaw drop and she knew she looked gobsmacked. "I'll need you to lead the way so I can see."

Pulling herself together, she quickly turned and made her way back towards where the lamps were. He followed after her, carrying the barrel easily. Motioning for him to set it down, she started to look for something to open it when he fished out an knife and pried the lid open. Praying that the oil hadn't gone rancid, she held her breath as the lid came off. However, instead of being rancid, the oil was still good, pleasantly scented with herbs. She clapped her hands in delight, unable to believe their luck.

Ori carefully poured the oil into the lamps. Using the chain. he raised the full lamp until it was a couple of feet above the ground. Finding a long splinter among the debris, Bella lit it from the lantern and carefully touched it to the lamp. The oil ignited with a whoosh. Raising it up until is was at the proper height, Ori carefully secured the chain to the pillar. He and Bella basked in the golden glow, grinning at each other. She said cheekily, "Now, isn't that better?"

He agreed, laughing. "Much."

Although looking around the room, Bella couldn't decide if it actually was an improvement or not. Yes, they could see clearly now, but the library was a total mess. Trying to distract herself so that she wouldn't panic, she asked, "How did you carry that barrel? It had to have weighed a ton. It would've taken four or five hobbits to move it and I wager that it usually takes two to three dwarves as well."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Ri strength, of course."

"Ri strength?"

He thought for a minute how to explain. "Surely you noticed it on the quest."

It was her turn to shrug. "I had never been farther than the edge of the Shire before the quest and never spent any amount of time with dwarves. I don't really know what's normal and what isn't for dwarves. I mean, the oddest thing was that Kili was an archer, but after a bit of thought, it was obvious that of course dwarves would have archers as well. Other than that, no."

"Sometimes, in Dwarven families, a gift will pop up unexpectedly. In the line of Ri, it's strength. Dori's stronger than I am, although it looks like the gift missed Nori. Most dwarves are strong, but our gift goes beyond that. On the quest, Dori could've carried one of the ponies if necessary." When she gawked at him, he flushed and protested quietly, "It's true. How do you think that we could carry an unconscious Bombur with just two dwarves? It was always me or Dori or Dwalin. Dwalin is very strong for a dwarf, but Dori and I are stronger."

She thought back over Mirkwood. Much of that time was hazy, but now that he mentioned it, one of those three always carried the litter while the other dwarves switched out more frequently. "You're right, come to think of it." She smiled warmly at him. "Things might not be as hard as I originally thought."

Balin chose that moment to walk in and found them smiling warmly at each other. Breathing in deeply, he smiled. "That's a scent I haven't smelled since the fall of Erebor. This place used to be filled with light and the scent of herbs, dwarves moving quietly among the shelves and the skritch of quills on parchment as the many scribes worked. The library was one of pride for Erebor in her height of glory."

Bella smiled gently at him. "It will be so again. What brings you to our corner of the mountain, Master Balin?"

"Food." He held up the tray that he was carrying for them to see. "Oin said that you would need to eat small meals several times a day to start gaining back your strength instead of large meals. The company volunteered to take turns bringing them to you, knowing how you two will most likely get lost in restoring this place."

Bella's stomach chose that moment to rumble and she giggled. "There is much to be done, it is true, especially as we only have until spring to get this place back into some sort of working order. Many thanks. Why don't you join us and tell us what the library used to be like before Smaug came. It would help to have an idea of how it was so we can figure out the best way to restore it. I'm sure that you spent much time here, so maybe you can direct us so where the most important sections, like treaties and laws were kept so we can focus on those areas first."

He nodded, "Aye, I can do that and gladly. It'll be good to take a break for a bit anyway."

While she ate, Balin and Ori took the small lantern and set off. She half listened as the advisor pointed out the different sections, lost in her own thoughts. When he had lifted that barrel earlier, she had suddenly seen Ori in a whole new light. She would've never realized that he had that kind of strength. He didn't flaunt it like Dwalin did but she was coming to realize that he had used his strength in a lot of little ways during the quest. It also made her realize that the elven king's dungeons must've been made of stern stuff if Dori and Ori couldn't escape.

She was startled when she realized something. After all she'd been through since leaving the Shire, knowing about Ori's strength made her feel, safe. It had been so long since she had felt that way, that the feeling was almost a foreign one. But somehow, she felt, that here in this library, maybe as they worked to put this library back together, she could work on putting herself back together as well, guarded by Ori while she was vulnerable. Maybe here she could figure out whom Belladonna Baggins of Erebor was versus Belladonna Baggins of the Shire.

She didn't know what kind of expression she had on her face, but both Balin and Ori's face morphed into concern when they saw her. Balin asked her, "Everything all right, lass? You look like you've seen a ghost."

She murmured absently, "Maybe I have." When their faces grew even more concerned, she pulled herself together. Shaking her head abruptly as if to clear it, she smiled up at them. "I'm fine, just lost in musings of how this place used to be, the people who worked and lived here."

She didn't share what she was thinking. Maybe she really had seen a ghost. Belladonna Baggins of the Shire had died that day on the battlements. Maybe even before that, when they faced Smaug, but no, it was the battlements that had finally shattered her. The Shire lass had died that day and a stronger Bella had stepped forward. But it remained to be seen what the new Bella was forged of.

When Balin left, Ori turned and smiled at her cheerfully. "Well, we've gotten the light, now what?"

Standing, she propped her hands on her hips while she carefully surveyed the room. She chewed on her lower lip while she thought, before nodding decisively. "We need to set up a work space. You've made a start with that corner, but it's not enough. We're going to need soap, water, rags, a broom, as well as a barrel of some sort to put trash into. Actually, make that two barrels. One for burnable trash and the other for rubble and such that might be usable elsewhere."

Ori nodded. "I can get the barrels. As for the rest, Dori will know where we can get soap, a broom, and buckets. How many do you think we'll need?"

"Just two, one for each of us. We might have to make several trips, but why carry more than necessary?"

They quickly made their way down to the storerooms. Dori was sitting there, adjusting one of the skirts he had made for Bella. He smiled and set it aside when they entered. "I expected that I would have to drag the two of you out of the archives. What brings you to my corner of Erebor?"

Bella explained what they needed and Dori nodded approvingly. "I certainly have all that. The closest well to the archives will be the one two halls over. Ori knows where it is. Hold on just a minute and I'll fetch all of it."

He turned and entered a storeroom that was overflowing with cleaning supplies. Bella wondered how he could find anything in there, where there were objects crammed into every available space of the room. Still, he returned quickly with the required supplies. She hugged him and pretended not to see his blush or the pleased expression he wore. Ori carried most of the supplies back, explaining the changes that had been made over the past few months. They dropped the bulk of the supplies in the library before going in search of the well. 

So ensconced were they in conversation, they almost walked right by it. Ori sheepishly backtracked but that didn't stop him from explaining how the well system of Erebor worked. She drank in every word, fascinated once again by the ingenuity of the dwarves. The conversation about it took them all the way back to the library. Pushing her sleeves back up, they got to work.

It took another three barrels and several more trips to the well, but by the end of the day they had two giant tables cleared that gleamed amber in the light. They'd also cleared the entry way completely so that you could walk over to the workspace without tripping over debris or rubble. Standing at the doorway, she surveyed their work with satisfaction. 

Dori chose that moment to come fetch them from dinner. He inspected their work with a pleased eye. He and Ori also had a highly technical conversation about the oil light that she didn't have a chance of following. After a couple of minutes, he seemed to remember why he had come. Helping Ori to snuff the lamp, they pulled the giant doors closed behind them. "You two did well today, real progress. You can start again fresh in the morning. You have all winter to get it done, after all."

The reminder that the project had an end date put a serious damper on her mood, but she pushed it away with effort. Just because she would be busy come spring did not mean that she had to stop going to the library all together. But it had been nice to be squirreled away in a quiet corner today without worrying about what would happen if someone happened to discover her. She was fairly well rested and had food in her belly with the promise of more shortly. Her ill ease must be side effects of all of those months of hiding. A bit more sleep and food under her belt and she would be right as rain.

She followed Dori and Ori down the hall, only half listening while they chattered about something. A loud ruckus caught her attention and she looked up to find the company dining hall ahead of her. In fact, now that she was paying attention, she could make out several distinctive voices. She asked Dori, amusement and horror in her voice, "They weren't like this yesterday."

Dori smiled at her. "Yesterday, our family wasn't complete. Now it is and they're celebrating. C'mon."

She almost balked at the thought but pushed it aside, neither Ori or Dori noticing her momentary hesitation. They opened the door and the noise washed over her and she froze. All of a sudden, she was no longer in Erebor but back on the field in the middle of the battle fighting for her life. She fumbled for Sting, trying to draw it with hands that were clumsy with fear. She shrank down, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. Her breathing started coming faster as her heart started racing. She groped for her ring, but she couldn't find it.

Someone was shouting and it sounded like one of the company, but she hadn't been able to find any of them in the chaos, didn't even know if they were even still alive. She turned towards the shouting, but all she saw was a wall of orcs racing toward her. She couldn't get Sting from its scabbard and she knew that this was it, this was the end and she was going to die alone, far away from those that she loved. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arms over her head, whimpering. She wished that she could face her death bravely, but she just wanted it to end.


	4. Bruised but not Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to technical difficulties, I was unable to post this chapter yesterday. Enjoy!

Dori and Ori headed blithely towards the dining room, smiling at the commotion that the company was making. That was why they missed the warning signs of Bella. It wasn't until Dori opened the door that they realized that something was wrong. Bella had frozen, a whimper escaping from her. They had turned to find her fumbling at her waist for something. Dori took a step towards her, his voice concerned, "Bella?"

She took a step back and whimpered again, her hands searching frantically for something and clearly not finding it. The rest of the company seemed to realize that something was wrong and crowded in the doorway behind him, trying to see around him and talking loudly. This only seemed to make it worse and she curled up into a ball, wrapping her arms over her head.

Ori feel to his knees beside her, afraid to touch her. He demanded frantically, "What's wrong with her?"

Oin shoved his way to the front of the group, searching his pockets for something. Finding what he was looking for, he made his way over to her and knelt beside her. He told Ori gruffly, "Battle dreams. She's back on the battle field." He yelled over his shoulder, "All of you pipe down!"

Pulling the stopper from a vial, he waved it gently under her nose, praying that it would be enough to draw her from wherever it was that her mind had trapped her. At first, she scrunched down even tighter, then finally it seemed to register. She looked up with her arms still wrapped over her head and blinked blurrily at him, her eyes seeming to finally register his presence. She said hoarsely, "Oin?"

"Hush, lass. You're all right, you're safe."

She slowly uncurled her arms from around her head. She seemed to look around in confusion, "Where am I? I was in the middle of battle."

His eyes sorrowful, he said gently, "You're safe in Erebor, lass. The battle's been over and done with for months. It's just your mind playing tricks on ye."

She looked around at the faces of the gathered company, trying to make sense of what Oin was telling her. Nori eeled out of the crowd and knelt in front of her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's true, namad. You're home and you're safe."

With a sob, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, sobbing her eyes out. He carefully gathered her into his arms and lifted her up. He said quietly, "It's too much too soon. I'm taking her back to our rooms."

The other dwarves nodded solemnly and Nori took off, his gait a swift but smooth lope, Ori right on his heels. Bombur stopped Dori just long enough to let him know that he'd bring food for the Ri's and Bella to their rooms. Dori thanked him before taking off after his family.

It was only a matter of a few minutes until they reached their rooms. Moving over to the couch and sitting down, Nori directed Ori to build up the fire. Dori immediately headed for the kitchen and started working on something, focusing intently. Nori didn't try to soothe her or try to get her tears to stop, instead he simply held her. He had a sneaking suspicion that she had never processed any of the trauma that had happened since she'd left the Shire. Not only that, but her trauma had probably been compounded by months of trying to avoid them, thinking that they hated her. No, it was best just to get it all out, like lancing a wound. Messy but necessary.

Once the fire was roaring, Ori moved to the other end of the couch, his face distressed at the sight of Bella sobbing uncontrollably. Nori wanted to comfort him but didn't dare take his attention away from Bella. Instead, he stared at Dori until the older dwarf looked at him then inclined his head towards the youngest. Dori immediately came over and pulled Ori away, ignoring his protests. They had a quiet conversation but Nori didn't bother listening, knowing that Dori would be able to comfort their nadadith.

Bombur had come and gone with the food before her weeping started to ease. Sensing that she was coming to the end, he started running his hand gently up and down her back, humming a lullaby that he distantly remembered his amad singing. Hearing that, Dori allowed Ori back into the main room and disappeared into Bella's room for a few minutes before coming back out and settling on the couch next to them.

When she had stopped and was just sniffling, Dori gently tucked a handkerchief into her hand. She pulled back and blew her nose noisily, her eyes red rimmed, nose bright red, and her cheeks were flushed and tear streaked. When she realized that all three of them were watching her closely, shame and sadness filled her expression. She said brokenly, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to weep, I'm sorry."

Nori shushed her, gently brushing the tears from her face, "Hush, lass. Nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone has battle dreams, it's nothing to apologize for."

She tilted her head slightly, her curiosity caught, "What are battle dreams?"

Ori said quietly, not wanting to startle her, "When a dwarf has been through a traumatic event, battle or otherwise, it can leave them with a mind wound that takes time to heal. In dreams or sometimes while they are awake, their mind will suddenly transport them back to the event, reliving it again and again. Sometimes events are as they happened and sometimes the dreams twist and warp what happened."

Looking at Ori tiredly, she asked softly, "And how do I heal this wound?"

Sympathy entered his gaze, "The most proven cure is time. Eventually the memories will fade and become more bearable. Also, you can talk with someone that you trust, get it out of your mind. Or if you don't feel comfortable talking to someone, you can write it all down and then burn it or lock it away."

Giving a shuddering sigh, her composure returned a little. "Why would I want to burn it or lock it away?"

He reached and tentatively took her hand, squeezing it gently, trying to reassure her. "Those who don't find themselves obsessing over the event, reading it again and again. They often find that their battle dreams grow worse instead of better. But as I said, the best healer is just time."

She squeezed his hand back before turning away when Dori came bustling over with a scone and a cup of tea. Climbing off of Nori, she moved over to the corner of the couch and shakily took both the items. After she took them, Dori smooth a lock of hair out of her face and leaned down and gently pressed his forehead to hers. Pulling back, he smiled warmly at her and murmured, "Little sister, never be ashamed. We are family. In good times and bad. Nothing you feel or do will be enough to ever drive us away."

Giving her one last smile, he moved over to his chair and and pulled out some mending. "Ori, tell us a story, something light."

Ori nodded, glancing at Bella, he asked shyly, "Any requests?"

She nibbled slowly on the scone, "How about you tell me about one of the dwarven crafts. Nothing to do with battle or battle lore though, if you please."

He nodded thoughtfully, "Well, why don't we start at the foundation then, the miners?"

She perked up slightly at that, "Like Bofur and Bifur?"

Ori nodded, settling into storytelling mode, "Aye, exactly like Bofur and Bifur. You see, back when Mahal first created us..." 

With that he was off, his voice soothing and rhythmic. Bella listened intently, sipping at her tea and slowly, slowly eating her scone. Surprised that Dori wasn't nagging at her to eat more, Nori glanced over at his elder brother. Dori appeared to be mending, at least to the inexperienced. However, Nori has spent a lifetime with Dori and knew all of his tells. Despite his apparent inattention, Dori was watching Bella like a hawk, especially every time that she took a sip of her tea. It only took him a few moments to work out what Dori had done.

He was slightly outraged and slightly impressed at Dori's deviousness. He also wondered why he hadn't thought of it first. Between the drugged tea and Ori's soothing storytelling tone, she should be out before she even realized what had happened. Once she'd finished off the tea, he nipped it and the half eaten scone out of her hand, carrying them out to the kitchen.

When he came back out, she was visibly drooping, swaying where she sat. 

Setting aside the mending, Dori stood and interrupted Ori, "C'mon Bella, let's get you to bed." 

He held out his hand and gently pulled her to her feet, leading her into her room. It took a couple of minutes until he got her settled, then he came out and quietly shut the door behind them. Seeing the other two watching him, he said quietly, "She's asleep. Come and eat, Bombur brought enough for all of us."

They went over to the kitchen table and sat, serving themselves silently. As they started eating, Nori said quietly, "That was very tricky of you, Dori."

Ori looked at both of them sharply and Dori sighed. "It will help her to sleep deeply, without any dreams. She's been under so much stress, it's no wonder that she's dealing with battle dreams. Some true rest and plenty of good food will help her recover faster."

Ori looked back and forth between them before seeming to understand what they weren't saying. He demanded quietly, "You drugged her?"

Dori shrugged, "I gave her some sleep aid tea, that's all. She's used it before, at Beorn's, with no ill effects."

Ori stared at them, frustration on his face, "But shouldn't she have at least had a choice whether or not to take it? I can't believe you did that."

Dori frowned and said sharply, "It was for the best. You know how much she worries. She would've fretted herself into a right state and found a way to blame the whole mess on herself. I don't care if she's angry at me. I'll be glad if she is because it means that she's not blaming herself for things that are not her fault or are beyond her control. When I'm not worried that she'll disappear on us or that she thinks that we'll disappear on her like her hobbit relatives did, then I'll be happy to let her decide whether to drink the tea or not. But until then, I'm willing to make the hard calls, even if she hates me for them."

Nori said quietly, "Leave him be, lad. He's right on this one. You saw how ashamed she was for just crying, she doesn't want to be a burden on us or anyone. She was alone for months after the battle, thinking all sorts of wrong things like we hated her and she was banished. She's been purely in survival mode and that doesn't allow her to show vulnerability, doesn't allow her to reach out for help when she needs it. It'll take time for her to understand that she's safe and can trust us to protect and support her. Until she gets there, we'll have to do it for her."

Ori scowled but subsided, eating with ill grace. Dori shot him a grateful glance and Nori just nodded. Sure, he had always chaffed at Dori's fussing, but he knew that the eldest Ri would do anything to keep his family safe and protected. And if Bella got mad about the tea, well, that was a good sign. They all knew that she was a little firebrand, but a lot of that fire had been missing. Some of that could be accounted from all the events that had happened, that would take a toll on anyone. But it was something more than that, he could see the fragileness in her gaze, in the way that she moved and held herself. No, this would take time and patience to sort.

Polishing off his plate, Nori stood and carried it over to the sink. "I've some business that I need to see to, I'll be back by morning."

Dori nodded, "Be careful, nadad."

Nori nodded and slipped out the door. Ori and Dori finished eating and cleaned up, speaking quietly about how the library restoration was going as well as how they could support Bella as she became re-accustomed to the company and Erebor. Ori was still doubtful about what Dori did, but was willing to wait and see how she reacted before making a decision. He could understand where Dori was coming from but he was also worried about how Bella would react. The woman that he loved was very independent and headstrong and he just knew that she wouldn't be happy at having the choice taken away from her.

He was torn over what to do. On the one hand, it was deeply ingrained in every dwarf to treasure and cherish dams. On the other hand, he wanted nothing more than for Bella to be happy. However, he didn't know if there was a way to reconcile the two without losing her entirely. Forcing down the anxiety, he bid Dori goodnight and retreated to his room. Now that Bella was back and it had been confirmed that she would stay in Erebor, it was time for him to start working on his First gift.

* * *

Nori was just returning to their home when he heard muffled shouting. Slipping inside, he quickly shut the door behind him. Now that he was inside, he could hear the words clearly. Ori was pleading, "Bella, please, at least just listen to his reasons. You know he doesn't do these things lightly."

She snarled back, "No! I'm too mad to even think straight right now. I can't believe that you DRUGGED me, Dori! I'm not a faunt! This is what I get for allowing myself to be vulnerable. Don't even try to follow me, I'll be back when I'm good and ready and not a moment before!"

She stormed by him, glaring at him and mutely daring him to try and stop her or try to follow her. Instead, he made sure that he was out of her way and nodded his understanding. Her glare narrowed before she nodded and left, slamming the door behind her.

Moving over to the main room, Nori observed the two dejected dwarves standing there. He said cheerfully, "Well, that went well, didn't it?"

* * *

Bella stormed down the hall towards where the company's room was. She couldn't believe how high handed Dori had been. Just because she'd had a battle dream and cried didn't mean that she was weak and inept. After all, really, look at the journey and everything that they'd been through, it was a miracle that she hadn't lost her mind well before now! Especially after all of the stunts that they had pulled!

Pushing the door open roughly, she ignored the startled looks of all the dwarves assembled there. Scanning them, she found the dwarf that she was looking for. Marching over to Dwalin, she demanded, "Do you have any duties this morning?"

He frowned, looking at her thoughtfully, "Depends. Most of it can be done later. What do you need, lass?"

"I want to start training again." She jutted her chin out, daring him to say that she was too weak.

He just nodded and stood, "Tomorrow, bring yer letter opener. We'll train every morning for an hour before breakfast. Ye've got good instincts, they just need honed a bit." Moving over to the table, he quickly assembled half a dozen rolls and filled them from the various platters. Wrapping all but one in a napkin, he carried the bundle and handed her the one that he hadn't wrapped. "Let's go."

Relieved that he wasn't going to fight her on training or ask her why, she accepted the roll and trotted after him. She paid close attention to the path that he took as it was still taking her forever to navigate the halls. Finally they reached an empty training room and he motioned for her to enter, handing her another roll. As he started examining the weapon racks, he said, "Now, if you're going to train with me, there need to be some ground rules."

She nodded carefully, not wanting to agree before she heard what they were. "And those are?"

He eyed her briefly before returning to his task, "Just three. One, leave everything at the door. Yer anger, pain, joy, sadness. Tired, hungry, bored, anxious, leave all of this at the door. When yer training, ye need to be in the here and now, nothing exists beyond this room and this moment."

Finishing off the roll, she brushed the crumbs off her hands and thought it over. That was a reasonable request, a distracted novice could be hurt easily. "That's reasonable enough. What else?"

He tested a dagger, weighing it carefully, before placing it back in the rack. "Listen to yer body. If ye are tired, hurt, ill, let me know. And before ye accuse me of treating ye like a pebble or weak, it's just common sense, lass. If ye push too hard, it will take longer for yer body to recover and will set back yer progress. If ye tailor the training to yer body's needs, soon ye'll find yerself stronger than ye ever thought ye could be."

She settled slightly at this, taking the time to truly think over his words. He wasn't accusing her of being weak, he was asking her to be smart. Swallowing hard and feeling her anger start to ebb, she nodded and said quietly, "I understand. The third thing?"

"In here, my word is law. If I tell you to do so many reps, I expect ye to do that many reps without whining. I'm not a tyrant, if ye have questions, feel free to ask them but don't endlessly question every little thing that I tell ye. If ye find that we don't suit and want to find another teacher, that's yer right. But I give ye my word, while I teach ye, I'll do everything in my power to teach ye how to defend yerself and become adept in yer chosen weapon."

She stood in front of him and shook hands to seal the agreement. Dwalin nodded, "Good, let's start with stretching."

An hour later, Bella finished another set of stretches, these ones to cool down. The stretches were nice, her body pleasantly tired. She felt calmer, more settled, than she had since the first time that she'd set foot in Erebor. Plopping down on the ground beside her, Dwalin handed her the napkin with the rest of the rolls. Her stomach grumbled, protesting missing breakfast, and she accepted them happily.

As she bit into the first one, he asked quietly, "Now that yer not so twitchy, what set ye off this morning, lass?"

She frowned, sighing. "I suppose you saw my meltdown yesterday."

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Battle dream. We've all had them, nothing to be ashamed about."

She looked at him, puzzled, "That's what all of them said. I don't understand."

"Battle dreams are battle dreams. Everyone gets them occasionally. Not a lot ye can do about them, except wait them out, maybe get drunk. But having seen ye hold yer drinks on the journey, that'd be a feat to accomplish. Did ye sleep ill, plagued by dreams?"

She sighed, glancing down before forcing herself to look at him, "Actually no, my sleep was deep and dreamless. Dori drugged my tea without my knowledge."

Dwalin chuckled at that, "Good for him. Would've thought that Nori would beat him to it."

She fought to scowl at him but couldn't help how the corners of her mouth turned up, "Dwalin, it's not funny!"

He just shrugged, "Lass, yer not going to beat our instincts. We all want to take care of ye. We also know that yer a stubborn bit that puts everyone ahead of yerself and has no sense of self preservation, trolls and Azog just to name a couple. 'Sides, battle dreams make yer head screwy for a bit afterwards. So why are ye so upset?"

This time her frown was real, "They treated me like a faunt!"

He shook his head, "They treated ye like kin is what they did. Kept ye safe and cared for ye, even though they knew that ye might hate 'em for it."

She sighed, "I don't hate them. It's just, I've been self sufficient for so long. There was no one else, I had to rely on myself and myself alone. Any misstep, any weakness, and I might've lost my home and my standing. They might've called me Mad Baggins, but they respected me, by Yavanna!"

He rolled his eyes at that, "I'll say it again, hobbits are foolish. Kin takes care of each other. Do ye think Bifur weak for allowing his kin to tend him when he has a bad day?" She shook her head no firmly. "Then what makes ye think that we'll think ye weak for something that everyone goes through? And would ye fault us for trying to ease yer pain?"

She grumbled, "Why do you always have to be so sensible? Very well, I understand what you're saying. I'm not saying that it'll be easy, but if all of you will put up with me, I'll keep on trying." Climbing to her feet, she brushed herself off carelessly.

Dwalin rose and nodded carelessly, "That's all we ask for, lass. Now go get cleaned up, I've other duties to tend to."

Before she could respond, he strode out of the room and was gone. With a last glance at the room to fix it's location in her mind, she followed him out.

* * *

She crept into the Ri apartment, ashamed of her earlier outburst. She didn't think any of them would be home, but she didn't want to disturb them if they were. As she entered the main room, she found it empty except for Dori. He was sitting on the couch working on a garment, but he just looked so tired and worn. Sighing silently, she went and sat on the couch right next to him.

He looked up startled, obviously not having heard her come in. Laying aside the fabric, he said cautiously, "Bella, you're back. I didn't know if you'd choose to stay with someone else or not."

Sighing, she leaned her head against his shoulder, "I'm sorry, nadad. As I'm sure you know, I have a terrible temper. I also have trouble accepting help from others. So thank you for taking care of me, but please don't make a habit of drugging my tea."

He huffed out a laugh, the tension easing from him. He looped an arm around her, pulling her into a careful sideways hug. "I'm sorry, namadith. It's just, I've taken care of this family for so long, done my best to keep us all together. It's hard to remember that everyone's grown up and capable. And I just want to take care of you, you're precious to us, mizimith."

She offered him a crooked smile, "I've been alone for so long now, it's hard to remember how to be part of a family. It's going to take some time, we're probably going to have more fights and misunderstandings. But if you don't give up on me, I won't give up on you. Deal?"

He nodded firmly, "Deal." He hesitated before forging ahead, "Um, why don't you get cleaned up while I make a snack for you before you join Ori in the library? What were you up to anyway?"

She laughed and stood, "I was training with Dwalin. He's agreed to work with me every morning before breakfast. Do you think that you could make me some practice clothes?"

Dori looked pleased at hearing that, "Of course, no problem. It's good that you're learning to defend yourself and Dwalin is a highly sought after teacher."

Making her way to her room, she called over her shoulder, "Oh, Dori?"

"Yes?"

"Don't drug the tea this time, ok?"

When he protested, she just winked at him and laughed, slipping into her room and closing the door. It would take some adjustments, but they would make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praying for strength, endurance, and sanity. We are strong together!


	5. Days of Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Healing can be, messy, but it is worth it to move forward, enjoy!

After that blow up, things settled more or less into a rhythm. She'd start each day by meeting up with Dwalin before breakfast to train for an hour. She would then head back home and get cleaned up before eating breakfast. Sometimes it was just the Ri's at home and other mornings they would eat with the entire company. Afterwards, she would go and assist Ori with the library. It was slow going but they were gradually making progress.

She still had some battle dreams, some days were better than others and she would go without a one entirely. And then there were the days where battle dreams lurked around every corner. Some days it was a battle just to get out of bed, but she refused to let the past or fear win, never again. And every day, she grew a little bit stronger, a little less shaky. After the second week, she noticed that Nori stopped shadowing her as much and returned much of his attention back to being spymaster. While that was reassuring that she was stronger, now she worried about the risks her brother was taking

While all of the company took turns minding her, it was Ori who was her constant companion. They spent all day together in the library, working on getting it restored to usable order. Thanks to Ori's strength, they were able to make better progress than they otherwise would've. While they worked, they traded lessons, Sindarin for Khuzdul. It was restful, which was especially pleasant after their rough travels for the quest and all that had happened. 

Bella was fascinated by the Dwarven culture, which Ori shared freely with her. She grew more comfortable in Erebor by the day and soon her lingering fears of goldsickness were soothed and plans to return to the Shire where consigned to a dusty corner of her mind and abandoned entirely. She was home and here she would stay.

* * *

It had been a month and a week since Nori had found her and dragged her back to the company. Thanks to regular meals and sleep, she was finally filling back out and regaining her energy. However, this morning, she had definitely woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Tired and achy all over, it felt like the world was conspiring against her. None of her dresses had seemed to fit right that morning. After finally chosen one, she had joined her brothers in the kitchen, only to manage to spill an entire cup of hot tea down the front. Waving off their concern irritably, she went back to her room and went through the whole process again. By the time she finally found something to work, they were late to the company breakfast.

During breakfast, nothing appealed to her in the slightest, everything making her feel faintly queasy. To add to the irritation, Fili and Kili were in high spirits and bouncing all over the room like energetic toddlers. One of them tripped and spilled coffee all over her, which necessitated going back and changing for the third time that morning. Having sent Ori on ahead, his hovering was making her angry, she trudged to the library. As she walked, she rubbed her stomach, trying to will the ache and nausea away. If this kept up, she would have to see Oin at dinner time for some herbs. It felt like she was coming down with a stomach bug. She grimaced. It was ironic that she was finally well enough to get sick again, apparently.

Determined to ignore it and hope that it went away on its own, a tactic she had used without much success as a faunt, she reached the library and headed for the task that they had begun the day before. Using Balin's memories as a guide, they had focused on the sections that he had said contained treaties and laws. The day before, they had managed to unearth a mostly intact set of tomes from under the rubble. Now they were going through them carefully to see if they contained anything relevant or if they could be set aside until later.

Searching through the books for the key words Ori had shown her in Khuzdul, she couldn't get comfortable. Chills and hot flashes rolled over her in alternating waves and she felt lightheaded. And that did not even begin to cover the way her stomach was filled with stabbing knives of pain. As the day progressed, her temper got shorter and shorter. Ori kept shooting her concerned glances and asking her if she needed anything. All she needed was to be left alone with some peace and quiet, was that too much to ask for? After he had asked yet again, she snapped at him that she was fine and if she needed anything, she'd let him know. His eyebrows had shot up at her sharp tone, but she managed to knock over an inkwell in that moment, sending them both scrambling to mop it up before anything was damaged.

Clenching her jaw, she pushed down the part of her that felt like crying and kept going. Members of the company dropped in throughout the morning with snacks as was their habit, but she ignored both them and the food, pushing doggedly on. It was when Dori brought lunch that things finally came to a head. She had distantly registered Dori's entrance and the Ori dragging him off somewhere, but ignored it. It was taking all of her concentration to focus on what was written on the page. The pain in her abdomen had only worsened and now her head was starting to pound.

So when Dori came over and laid a gently hand on her forehead, saying that she looked pale and clammy, she suddenly, totally, and irrationally lost it. She shoved back away from the table and his hand, standing up, the chair fell and clattered noisily. Ignoring the way her head spun, she shouted that she was fine, and why couldn't they just leave her alone and stop treating her like a faunt. She was a grown woman dammit and she knew when to take care of herself. If she didn't want to eat, she didn't have to eat, so they could just mind their own damn business.

Suddenly a severe cramp seared through her stomach and she doubled over, fighting back tears. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the pain down. Straightening, she ignored the way the Dori and Ori were gaping at her. All of a sudden, horror swept through her as she realized what was happening. She wailed internally, no, this can't be happening, not now. Not in a mountain full of male dwarves who knew nothing about females and their needs. Not when she had nothing prepared for this, no herbs to help her through, had foolishly forgotten all about it. This was not happening.

She turned and fled, ignoring their shouts for her to come back. She didn't stop until she was back in her room, the door firmly barred behind her. Sliding down to the floor, she curled into a ball and sobbed.

* * *

The assembled dwarves could hear the heart wrenching sound of the lass's muffled crying. They had dissected events again and again and could only come to the conclusion that she was sick or hurt somehow. Nori had tried to pick the lock, but the door was barred somehow from the inside, foiling all of his attempts. Now he was pleading quietly with her while Dwalin and Gloin debated the best way to break down the door without hurting the lass.

Ori was pacing restlessly while Dori was clenching his mug of tea so hard that it threatened to shatter on him.

Suddenly her cries died down, leaving silence in their wake. This lasted for a minute or so and all of the dwarves held their breath. Finally, there was the sound of someone standing up slowly and leaning against the door. Her words were partially muffled by the door and her clogged nose from the crying bout, but they could understand the shaky words well enough. "I'm sorry for worrying everyone. I'm all right. Please, just go and I'll see all of you in the morning."

Balin said firmly, "Don't lie to us, lass. You're not ok."

She sniffled and choked, then blew her nose. "I will be ok. This is normal. Now please, don't make me say anything more. Just go."

Bofur had been signing everything for Oin and understanding suddenly dawned on the older dwarf's face. Drawing himself up to his full height, he commanded, "Everyone out, except for Dori and Nori. The lass is going to be just fine but she's not gonna come out while the lot of you are here raising a ruckus. And no lingering in the hall trying to overhear something. This is the lass's business and none of yours."

They fussed but he was adamant and soon the room was cleared. He had Nori double check and make sure no one had lingered before sitting down and accepting the tea that Dori handed to him. He sighed, "If this is what I think it is, your sister is going to be all right, but she's going to be in pain for a few days. Let me explain to you what's going on."

By the time he finished his explanation, both males looked rather ashen. Nori asked quietly, "And she's going to go through this every month?"

He nodded, "Hopefully not as severe as this time, but yes. Anyone who tells you that women are weaker than men is an idiot."

Dori asked, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I've some herbs that will help with the pain, but beyond that, there's not a lot we can do. Sounds like the lass is nauseous, so rich broths with herbs to settle the stomach would be best. A water skin filled with hot water will help with the cramps. But what she really needs right now is patience and understanding. This is embarrassing for both of you, for all that it is natural. Also, her moods are going to be all over the place. She may be happy, sad, angry, and overwhelmed all in the space of a few minutes, often over something that makes no rational sense. Tell me right now if you're not up for this and I'll move her in with Gloin and myself until this is over. There's no shame in admitting that you're in over your head."

Nori and Dori both shook their heads. "She's still our sister and this is part of who she is as a female. We'll cope, somehow. But how do we get her to open the door?"

"Leave that to me. Nori, I need you to go fetch these herbs from the infirmary. Dori, I need you to heat some water, both for tea and for that water skin."

As they started on their tasks, Oin moved over to her door and knocked firmly. "Lass, let me in or I will be forced to shout my questions through the door where everyone can hear. Is that what you want?"

The door was hastily unbarred and the healer yanked into the room before the door slammed shut again. Dori couldn't contain the quiet chuckle that slipped out. How such a tiny lass was able to move Oin was anyone's guess. He had just put the kettle on when there was a quiet knock on the door. He opened it to find Bombur standing there with a covered pot. He mumbled, "After I thought about it a bit, I realized what was going on. This always helps my wife during that time, she gets nausea and doesn't want to eat. I should've seen the signs."

Dori smiled and took the pot, relieved. "Thank you. Oin just finished filling us in. Any help you can offer from experience will be most appreciated."

The ginger dwarf smiled and nodded. "I've got a few other recipes up my sleeve that might help. I'll talk to Gloin, discreetly of course, and see if he knows anything that might help. And you might want to let yer brother know that she ain't dying. Poor lad's just about beside himself with worry over the lass." He turned and walked away without waiting for Dori's reply, already muttering recipes under his breath.

Shutting the door, he took the pot and set it off to the side of the hearth where it would stay warm but not burn.

Right then, Bella's door opened and she finally emerged. Her face was bright red and she wouldn't meet his eyes. That was all right because he was suddenly have difficulty meeting her gaze as well. Nori chose that moment to breeze back in with the requested herbs. He passed them over to Oin and urged Bella over to a chair in front of the fire. Sitting across from her, he abandoned his usual evasive method of conversation and approached the subject head on. "Oin told us what he believes the situation to be. Is that true, lass?

Wringing her hands together, she nodded. She whispered, "Who else knows?"

"Just us in this room. We've got some herbs brewing that should help with the pain. I know that this is embarrassing, but ye need to be honest with us about what's going on. Ye'll also have to be patient with us. We love you dearly but that doesn't change the fact that we're male and have no clue what you're going through. Can you do that for us?"

She met his eyes for a brief second before ducking her head again. "Yes. I'm sorry for scaring all of you."

Standing, he grabbed an afghan that was draped over the back of the chair and spread it over her. "S'not your fault. Oin said that it was something that you can't control."

She sighed, "Usually it's not so bad, but I wasn't prepared for it. I panicked. I need to apologize to Ori."

He soothed, "I'm going by there anyway, I'll make sure to pass on your apologies."

Snuggling under the blanket, she blinked blurry red rimmed eyes at him. "Could I have some water before you go, please?"

He fetched her a glass before dropping a kiss on her forehead and heading out to find his youngest brother.

* * *

Ori was pacing nervously in the library, unable to focus on his work at all. What was so wrong with Bella that Oin had to send them all away. Nori chose that moment to stroll into the library and Ori pounced on him. He pleaded, "Tell me that she's all right."

"She's in pain, but she's going to be all right in a few days."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Female issues. Trust me lad, you don't want to know anything more than that. And I'd keep your head low around her for the next few days, her temper's gonna be a bit uncertain. Although she sends her apologies for her outburst earlier."

He said uncertainly, "You're sure that she's going to be all right?"

Nori sighed, "Now why would I lie to you? She's gonna be just fine and leave it at that." When Ori went to protest, Nori cut him off. "Trust me, you do NOT want to know. It's a girl thing, Dori and I are taking care of it. Someday, if you two wed, you'll find out. Until then, leave it be."

As Nori had hoped, the mention of marrying her threw Ori off course and he returned to his books, a smitten expression on his face. Shaking his head over how love struck his little brother was, Nori left the library. He still needed to find several items for Bella, that and warn a few dwarves to lay low until he gave the all clear that it was safe. It was the right thing to do, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters are gonna be very culture heavy, I'm so excited!
> 
> Praying for love, hope, and understanding!
> 
> We are strong together!


	6. Which Path to Choose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was tired, so didn't get this posted yesterday. Bella decided that it was time to start moving things forward, so who am I to argue?
> 
> Enjoy

It had been a few weeks since then and life had returned to normal. As a matter of fact, things were going really well with the restoration of the library. It looked like they might actually be able to have a workable library by the time Spring actually arrived in little over a month and the first caravans from Ered Luin started arriving, undoubtedly bringing a large influx of people and the attendant paperwork.

She had been turning her mind more and more to thoughts of farming, discussing the subject in length with Ori. He had seemed reluctant to speak of her changing over to farming, but still asked dozens of questions that helped her figure out some of the logistics that had been bothering her. And when he'd brought her some of the old guard journals that also chronicled the weather around Erebor for patrolling purposes, she couldn't help but hug him. He had flushed but hugged her gingerly back. When she released him, he mumbled something about Balin needing his help and fleeing the library, not returning for the rest of the day.

She sighed, scanning the guard journal apathetically, her heart not really in it. Ori had been acting strange lately and she wasn't sure why, she had thought that they were growing closer over the past few months. But lately, when they talked, it was strained. Not to mention that whenever she would touch him whether it was a hug or simply their hands brushing, he would hurriedly put space between them or disappear, his cheeks flushed and refusing to meet her eyes. It both baffled her and irritated her. She wasn't that scary, yes, she had yelled at a few of the others since she'd returned but they had all moved on peaceably enough after that.

She sighed again, tracing the edge of the page idly with a finger. Not to mention the fact that she thought that they were growing closer, personally. Since she had rejoined them all those weeks ago, she had started noticing Ori in a different light. Oh, she'd known that he was a fine, gentle dwarf from their time together on the quest, protective in his own way, and they'd had many interesting conversations. It was almost as if they had been starting to court on the quest.

She felt her cheeks heat slightly at that, but didn't push the thought away. Instead, she contemplated the changes that had happened between them since she had returned. That first day, when he had clung to her so fiercely, she had felt relief that he didn't apparently hate her and a tiny hope fluttered to life. She had refused to name that hope, to acknowledge it at all. But then when Ori had moved that barrel so easily, it had opened her eyes to the true extent of his strength. He'd always been so gentle with her that she'd never realized how strong he actually was. She should've realized it before then, with how fiercely he had fought and protected her and the company during the quest.

And although Ori was quite different from hobbit lads, she had come to realize that he was a handsome dwarf in his own quiet way, with his tidy clothes, neat hair, and bright curious eyes. Not to mention his keen mind and quick wit. They could talk about anything and everything for hours and he'd often offered her many insights that she would've missed without his viewpoint.

She sighed again, trying to force her attention back to her reading. It was obvious from the way that he fled from any contact with her that her wistful hope of something beyond friendship was foolish. Undoubtedly, he was trying to think of a way to kindly inform her that he wasn't interested in her. She thought bitterly, voices from her past whispering in the back of her mind, after all, who would want a sharp tongued spinster hobbit that is neither fully Baggins nor Took.

Hearing footsteps, she pushed aside the book and rose so that she could stretch, her back starting to cramp from sitting in one position for so long. Thinking that it was one of the company coming with snacks as they often did, she turned to face them, only to stop when she found Ori standing uncertainly behind her. Forcing herself not to fidget, she noticed that he was carrying a heavy tome. Hastily pushing aside her recent thoughts, she asked cheerfully, "What treasure have you found now?"

He looked startled and glanced down at the book as if he had forgotten all about it. Looking back at her, he shrugged uneasily, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "Oh, this is nothing, just some old records about running the main forges. It seems to be filled with things that we already know, but I figured that it wouldn't hurt to double check and make sure that we haven't forgotten anything important."

She nodded, stretching again until she heard her back pop, then settled back comfortably onto her feet. "That's good." She studied him from under her lashes before just going ahead and asking hesitantly, "Ori, is something wrong? You seem on edge, have been on edge for the past several days. If this is because I yelled at you the other day or something that I've done, I wish you would let me know what it is so I can fix it."

This seemed to take him by surprise and he gaped at her for several seconds. Shaking his head, he moved over and set the tome on the table before turning and facing her squarely, "No, it's nothing that you've done. I've just had something weighing heavily on my mind lately. I'm sorry that I've caused you to think that I'm upset with you."

She offered shyly, "If you want to talk, I can listen. Sometimes it can help to talk about it out loud with another person, not all knotted up in your mind."

He hesitated before seeming to come to a decision, squaring his shoulders and straightening his spine before meeting her gaze, his eyes serious and steady. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and calm, with just a hint of hesitation underneath, "Actually, it's something to do with you. I've been wanting to speak with you about this for a while, but could never seem to find the right time."

Her curiosity piqued, even as she felt a hint of dread curl in her stomach, she said, "Well, we're friends, aren't we? Whatever it is that you want to say, I'll listen."

His hands twitched, almost as if he was going to run them through his hair or reach for her, but he stilled them. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he scraped together all of his courage and said, "Yes, we are friends, but lately, it seems like we've been growing closer. When we thought you lost, it was horrible, but then you came back and it was like fate had given me another chance. And working with you has been wonderful, you're so bright and intelligent, I can talk with you about things that none of the others know or care about. Not to mention that you're the prettiest lass that I've ever seen."

He flushed an offered her a weak smile, "I'm babbling, aren't I?" He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and asked, "What I want to know, Bella, is if you are open to the idea of courtship between us?"

Bella had been trying to figure out where he was going with his speech, wondering idly if he knew what he sounded like, like a lad speaking to a lass that he liked. However, even though it looked like her hopes might not actually be in vain, when she heard him say courtship, she froze. She screamed at herself to say something, do something, anything, but her body refused to respond at all. As the silence drew on, Ori's expression fell and he looked increasingly hurt.

Wanting to cry, Bella turned and fled from the library, needing to get out of there so she couldn't see Ori's hurt expression. This was all wrong!

He watched her go before sinking down into a chair and burying his face in his hands. 

* * *

Frustrated and at the end of her rope, Bella went in search of Bofur. She couldn't talk to her brothers about this, they were all too close to the situation and she wouldn't force them to chose one or the other, that simply wasn't done. She was still leery of Thorin although they were getting along better now. Fili and Kili were too immature, for all that they had matured since the quest. She pitied Tauriel and whomever Fili fell for, the boys had a lot of growing up to do. Oin was too deaf and Gloin lost in his little family. Bombur would listen sympathetically and fed her, but she needed feedback, not being fed. She still couldn't speak Khuzdul or iglishmek well enough to communicate with Bifur. And neither Dwalin or Balin would be good choices, even if they weren't too busy with Thorin. That left her with Bofur.

Oh how she wished for a female to talk to, but until the caravans arrived, there were none except Tauriel and she just couldn't bring herself to confide in the female elf at this point. Tauriel just seemed to have it so together and Bella just wasn't. She already knew that she was a mess, thank you very much, she didn't need to hear it from yet another person.

So here she was, totally lost in the depths of Erebor. Bofur was scheduled to be down here for another month checking for stability and safety in the various shafts. She couldn't wait that long to talk to him. So she waited and lurked until she found someone heading down and begged them to let her accompany them. It had taken every ounce of diplomacy she possessed as well as using Kili's patented puppy dog eyes, but eventually they relented and brought her along. As they left the more populated parts of the mountains, niceties such as handrails quickly became a thing of the past. Several times she edged past a particularly deep cavern, holding her breath and wondering why she'd ever thought that this was a good idea.

Reaching solid ground, she remembered what had brought her down this way. Oh yeah. Ori and her stupid heart. The fear and confusion in her heart over what she wanted and the heartbreak in his when she had run from him. She was so overwhelmed that she didn't know what she was feeling anymore or if she could even trust her own feelings. Her feelings were so all over the place anymore that it felt like she was riding the barrels again. She was tired and she just wanted to be back on solid ground again. Which is why she needed to speak to Bofur. For a dwarf who proclaimed that he was nothing more than a simple miner, he was surprisingly wise. He would help her sort this out and then she could go remove that look of hurt from Ori, a look she never wanted to see again.

Finally her guide announced, "The work party should be over here."

Seeing the glow of several lanterns, she breathed, "Thank Mahal."

Rapid Khuzdul streamed back and forth until one of dwarves broke off from the group and made their way over. "Bella! I didn't believe 'em when he said that it was ye. What in the world are you doing down here? What were yer brothers thinking allowing ye to come down here alone. It's not safe."

She said desperately, "They didn't know what I was planning."

His eyes widened and he scowled, "You mean they don't know where you are? Bella, they're probably out of their minds with worry about ye."

"I left them a note."

He pulled his hat off his head and started twisting it. "A note, ye left a bloody note and ye think that makes everything better? Especially after being separated from you after the battle. I guarantee that they're frantic with worry, lass."

She pleaded, "I needed to talk with you. It couldn't wait."

He sighed and plopped the hat back on his head. "Come over here then. We're still checking the tunnels for what's safe and what's not. This whole area's unstable."

Suddenly realizing how dangerous it truly was, Bella blushed, "I'm sorry. It's just that I needed to talk and you won't be back up for another month."

He drew her closer to where the others were gathered, farther back from the mouth of the tunnel. "And none of the others would do? What about yer brothers? Or if it's too sensitive for them, how about with that elf lass of Kili's or one o' Bard's girls."

"Sigrid's too young and I don't want to talk to Tauriel. I mean, she's in love with Kili, I know that love is blind and all that but still."

Bofur chuckled at that. "And the rest of the company?"

She sighed, "They're all so male, they'd probably be horrified. Not that you aren't, of course, but you give out the best advice and I'm in desperate need of your wisdom."

"I haven't heard any complaints about your brothers not treating you well or not understanding you. And I know that all three of them are right canny."

Knowing that she resembled nothing so much as a tomato, she admitted, "They're part of the problem."

He walked past the gathered dwarves and flashed a couple of quick hand gestures. The other dwarves grunted and settled into a loose circle, talking amongst themselves quietly. 

Feeling suddenly embarrassed, she fisted her hands in her skirt and twisted them back and forth. "I'm interrupting your work, aren't I? I'm so sorry. I didn't think this through. I'll just go back up. I'm sorry."

He guided her over to a rock and had her sit. "Whatever drove you down here was no mere trifle, was it? And they don't mind taking a break, I've been driving them hard, making sure that things are progressing well down here. And there's not a dwarf here who would ignore a dam in distress. So tell me lass, what brought you down here looking for me?"

Before she could answer, there was a deep rumble and the walls and floor started to shake roughly. It shook her right off her perch and Bofur threw himself over her to protect her. She clung to him and shouted, "What's going on?"

He grunted as several rocks shook free from the ceiling and hit him on the back. "Cave in."

It seemed like forever but was most likely only a few minutes before the shaking stopped. Coughing from the dust, she tapped Bofur gently on the chest to tell him to move. He moved and she sat up, grabbing his arm before he moved away. "Are you ok? Bofur, you shouldn't have done that."

He grunted, "I've had worse. Stay here while I go check on the rest of the lads."

She sat anxiously waiting for him to return, silently cursing that she'd ever even thought of coming down here.

* * *

Ori made his way dejectedly back to the family chambers. He had thought that he and Bella were doing so well, had grown closer. But the confusion and fear in her eyes when he'd spoken of courtship made his heart ache. And when she had run, it had broken his heart entirely. He didn't even know how to begin to fix this mess.

Entering the family chambers, he groaned when he found both Dori and Nori waiting there. Knowing that he had to face the music, he entered the rest of the way and shut the door firmly behind him. He asked quietly, "Is Bella here?"

Nori was fingering a piece of paper and Dori asked, "What happened? We received reports that she was seen racing through the mountain as if there was a pack of wargs on her tail. When we got here, the chambers were empty and there was just a note. So, what happened?"

He walked over and slumped into a chair. Burying his face in his hands, he mumbled, "I messed up."

Nori came over and perched on the arm of the chair across from him. "Well, obviously. But is it the kind of mess up that we need to be tearing the mountain apart searching for her or the kind of mess up where we leave her alone until she cools off and then bribe our way back into her good graces with tasty treats and pretty trinkets?"

He raised his head and met Nori's gaze squarely, desperation clear in his face. "I don't know."

Dori tsked and handed him a cup of tea. "Just tell us what happened and we'll go from there."

"I asked her if she would be open to the idea of me courting her. We had seemed to be growing closer so I thought that I would test the waters."

Nori sucked in a breath. "I'm guessing that she didn't take it so well. What did she say?"

"Nothing. She just looked terrified and then she ran. I was hoping that she had come back here."

Dori sighed and pinched his nose. "Well, she did come back here, just long enough to leave a note. She said that she needed to talk to Bofur and that she'd be back later."

Ori shot to his feet, "She went down to the mines? What was she thinking? If she was so against it, she just had to say so. I would've never forced her. Never."

Nori tapped the piece of paper gently on the palm of his hands. "Actually lad, if that were the case, I think that she would've told you straight up."

Ori snapped, "Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if she didn't have feelings for you, she would've told you straight up. I think that she cares for you but is confused as to exactly what she's feeling. I think she went to Bofur for help in figuring out her feelings."

Ori raked his fingers through his hair, hope and despair warring on his face. "If that were the case, then why didn't she talk to you or Dori? And why aren't you two more upset about this?"

Dori sighed, "We are upset, but it's nothing that we can do about it right now. You didn't hurt her on purpose and she didn't hurt you on purpose, but that doesn't change the fact that the two of you are hurting right now. Nori and I have been talking about how the two of you had grown closer just yesterday. As a couple, should you become one, there are times that you both are going to have to find your own way. Even if we are family, there will be times when we can't help either one of you. And I think that she went to Bofur to keep from putting us in the middle. We care for both of you, so we aren't the best neutral party to discuss things with. However, should either of you need a listening ear, we're here for you."

Nori walked a knife across his fingers. "Aye, what mother hen said."

Dori was about to snipe back when someone hammered at the door. Nori glided over and opened it. He said calmly, "Yes

The dwarf standing there was breathing hard, having obviously run a goodly distance. "Cave-in in the mines."

All three brothers looked at each other and paled. They shouted "Bella" and took off running, leaving the breathless dwarf behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I didn't get this chapter posted yesterday, you'll be getting two chapters today. Enjoy!
> 
> Praying for friendship, family, and love.
> 
> We are strong together!


	7. Long Talks and Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting two chapters today, so if you haven't already read chapter 6, go back and read that one first.
> 
> Warning, long chapter ahead!
> 
> Enjoy!

After several minutes had passed, she heard Bofur calling for her. She made her way carefully to where the remaining dwarves were huddled together. She found Bofur kneeling next to a dwarf with an obviously broken arm. She knelt next to them, careful not to jostle the injured dwarf. Bofur said quickly, "Dor, this is Bella Baggins, she's gonna help me out real quick. Bella, this is Dor son of Fren, a good miner. If we set his arm right, he should be back to work in next to no time."

Bella nodded. Keeping her voice even, she smiled at the young dwarf, "Pleased to meet you, Dor, although it could be under better circumstances. What do you need me to do, Bofur?"

He nodded to the two sticks and several lengths of torn linen. "I'm going to set his arm. When I tell you, I need you to brace it and tie it firmly but not so firmly that you cut off circulation. Think you can do it?"

She grinned at him. "It's gotta be easier than carrying an unconscious Bombur, right?"

Bofur grinned back at her, "Definitely easier than treating Dwalin."

She smiled at Dor, "See, we'll have you set to rights in no time. Whenever you're ready, Bofur."

Placing his hands on either side of the break, he said, "On the count of three. One, two."

On two, he pulled the on the arm until it clicked into place with an audible snap. Bella quickly secured the two sticks and wrapped it firmly with the linen strips. When Dor finally finished cussing in Khuzdul, he said, "I thought you said that we were going on three?"

Bofur grinned at him, "People tend to tense up on three, it's easier to do it on two. And I wouldn't be repeating what you just said around Lady Bella around her brothers or you might have worse to deal with than a busted arm."

The dwarf blushed and started apologizing. Bella giggled and protested, "Bofur, how am I going to learn the good words if you don't let anyone swear around me?"

Bofur laughed, "Nuh-uh, I'm not getting involved. If you really want to learn words like that, get Nori drunk and ask him. But I am not getting yelled at for allowing you to learn things that you really shouldn't."

Bofur helped lift Dor to his feet. "All right, lad. That should hold you for now. Go and get some herbs to help with the pain."

Once he was safely out of earshot, Bella murmured, "How bad is it?"

"Minor injuries for the most part. Dor's the worst. But we're trapped in here and I'm not sure how thick the rubble is."

"Can we go out the other end of the tunnel?"

He shook his head. "This is a dead end. It was just set to be opened for mining when the dragon came. We wanted to see if it was worth reopening or just leave it while we opened mines that we knew were producing well."

Brushing a curl behind her ear, she said, "So what are our immediate concerns then?"

"Air, depending on how thick that wall is and how much room there is in the tunnel. If there's enough air, then its a matter of dealing with rations and injuries until help can reach us."

"What are they going to have to do out there to help us in here?"

He fiddled with his mustache, "That's a tough question. Depending on whether or not anyone was hurt, they'll have to get any survivors out of the way. Then they'll have to work slowly and shore up the area so that there aren't more cave ins. Depending on how much needs shored up, they might have to bring in more supplies. Then they'll have to work their way in slowly so that they don't collapse the tunnel entirely. And that's assuming that they don't just believe us buried under that heap of rubble. We could be here for several days before we're rescued, or we might even have to rescue ourselves."

Bella thought for a moment, then shook her head. "That's a lot of ifs. Let's start with the simplest. How many dwarves were in your party?"

"A dozen, counting meself."

"And how many are here in this part of the tunnel now?"

He paused for a moment and thought about it. "Eight, not counting you and me."

Feeling more centered than she had for a while, she straightened. "All right, so ten all together. And at least we have lanterns, right? The dust has settled enough that we can see now. Since our most pressing concern is air, why don't you take another dwarf and explore how far back this tunnel goes and if we have any vents in here or not. I'll see what supplies we have available and start figuring out how to ration them best. We can figure out where to go from there."

He offered her a small smile. "Yer brothers are gonna kill me when we get out of here, but I'm glad that yer here. I never had much of a head for planning, always left that to Bombur."

She squeezed his hand comfortingly, "We'll get out of here, Bofur. They're going to look for us, even if they believe the worst. We just have to hold on until then."

"Right you are, lass. Well, I'd best be off then. Kern, you're with me. The rest of you, listen to Lady Bella. She's going to make sure that we get out of here in one piece."

She sighed, "Bofur."

He chuckled, "You faced down Smaug alone but this makes you nervous? I thought that you lived to pull off impossible stunts."

She said tartly, "Maybe I've used up all of my luck."

"In that case, I'll see you in the Halls. Otherwise, I'm going to believe that you'll find another miracle."

He walked off with Kern taking one of the three lanterns and Bella muttered under her breath. She turned to find the remaining seven dwarves staring at her. One finally ventured, "You faced the dragon? A little bit of a thing like you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I was supposed to steal from him. I just so happen to be a terrible burglar and I woke him up."

This only made them stare at her harder. Another one spoke, "You were part of Thorin's company?"

She was confused by their intensity. "So was Bofur and you work with him every day. What's so strange about me?"

The one who seemed to be the leader of the group spoke again, "But you're a hobbit and a lass. Why'd did you even go on such a dangerous quest?"

Seeing the expectant look on all of their faces, she sighed. "Tell you what, let's inventory what supplies we have and what injuries everyone has and then I'll tell you a little bit about the company of Thorin Oakenshield and the Quest for Erebor."

Bofur called from the darkness, "I'd do as she says, lads. You're in for a rare treat. Our Bella is a rare storyteller."

All of the dwarves sprang into action like faunts promised a treat and Bella had to bite back another sigh. What in the world had she just signed herself up for.

* * *

The Ri's reached the mining area in record time. Seeing Thorin overseeing things, they pushed through the crowds. He nodded to them and stepped away from where the others were. "What brings you three down here? I won't lie that every hand is needed, but I didn't think you'd be by until a little later for second shift."

With the limited amount of dwarves in the mountain, a plan had been drawn up for emergencies like this. Dwarves were assigned to certain duties or shifts to replace those who were tired or hurt in the recovery efforts. Most of the company had been placed on second and third shift as they were needed to keep the mountain running while Thorin and his heirs oversaw the initial efforts.

Nori spoke up, "Bella's down there. She went down to talk to Bofur on a matter of personal urgency. Which group was caught in the cave in?"

Thorin turned grim. "It was Bofur's group. Do you know when she went. She might've still been on her way down there when it happened?"

Dori shook his head sharply, "She left about two hours ago. The chances are good that she was already down there when it happened." Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to ask, "How bad is it?"

"Unknown at this point. A runner alerted us to the cave in. They just brought up those that ended up on this side of the cave in. Three dwarves, one of them was badly injured, a broken leg. Oin may or may not be able to save it."

The Ri's paled. "How many were down there?"

"According to the schedule, it was a group of twelve counting Bofur."

Ori demanded, "Has anyone mentioned Bella?"

Thorin shook his head. "We didn't know that she was down there, so no one thought to ask about her. Give me just a minute."

He made his way over to where a group of healers were talking to two dust covered dwarves. Thorin spoke briefly with both of them before laying a hand gently on their shoulder and reassuring them. He then made his way back over to where the brothers waited impatiently. "They said that Bella had just shown up when the cave in happened. They lost track of what happened to her in the chaos."

Nori demanded, "What's being done?"

Thorin said calmly, "Right now, there's still a high chance of additional cave ins. We've sent in engineers to see what we need to do to stabilize the area. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything. If you could help keep the families calm and help arrange supplies, that would be greatly appreciated."

All three nodded, needing to keep busy. Setting to work, they sent up silent prayers to Mahal to please keep Bella safe.

* * *

Down in the shaft, things weren't nearly as bad as had originally been feared. Bofur and Kern had managed to confirm that the ventilation shaft hadn't collapsed, so they had a plentiful supply of air. Although both Bofur and a couple of other dwarves had investigated the rock slide, they couldn't make out any sounds from the other side and were unsure just how thick the blockage truly was. A search of supplies revealed that all of the dwarves except Bofur still had their packs. When Bella apologized, he just grinned at her. "Better me pack than me head."

The dwarves carried rations for a week apiece with supplies being dropped off for them once every seven days. The last drop of had been the day before, so that meant that they had six days of rations for seven dwarves. With a bit of careful rationing, Bella figured that they could have enough for ten people for about the same length of time, maybe a bit more. They had survived on less on the quest and if they weren't working, they wouldn't need as much food for energy anyway.

When Bella had mentioned trying to dig out from their side, Bofur had been hesitant. "As much as we all would like to, we don't have the proper materials to shore things up and could only make things worse. Best to let them on the other side work their way in to us."

She reluctantly set it aside to revisit later. It was a fine line to walk. They hope that they were being rescued, but it they started running low on food, they would have to start making other plans. Also, if they were on limited rations, that meant that their strength would be limited as well and it was better to try when they were still in halfway decent shape instead of when they were starving and desperate. Knowing that Ori, Nori, and Dori all had to be frantic about her as well was something that she had to push to the back of her mind. Right now, she had to focus on surviving long enough to return to them. She could apologize for her rashness later.

Thankfully Bofur had been right about all of the injuries being minor, although they didn't know how the three missing members of their party fared. 

After setting up the necessary evils, a.k.a the latrine, a rotating watch schedule for the blockage and rotating sleep schedule, and what and when the rations were, there was nothing else for them to do. Before they could start getting restless and anxious, Bofur pulled out a block of wood and started whittling. "I believe that you promised us a story, lass."

Relieved to have something to keep her mind occupied now that the immediate crisis had passed, she eagerly started telling about the quest. She talked until she was hoarse, Bofur adding in bits and pieces that she had forgotten. She had just gotten away from Gollum and rejoined the company when she had to rest her voice. The dwarves had been hanging onto her every word and when she stopped, they eagerly started dissecting the tale, reciting their favorite bits verbatim. Bella just chuckled and took a tiny sip of water to soothe her dry throat.

After thoroughly discussing and dissecting it, the dwarves fell silent. However, it was a more comfortable silence than the tense one that had happened right after the cave in. It was Dor that finally broke it. He said quietly, "Do you think my brother made it to the other side?"

Bella startled out of her thoughts and looked at the dwarf, suddenly realizing how young he truly was. She asked just as softly, "What is your brother's name?"

"Nor, Miss Bella. Me and my brother look out for our ma, we're all she has left."

She smiled at him. "Well, Dor, I'm willing to bet that he did make it out. I bet he's out there right now along with my brothers and that they're working their hardest to get us out of here and home in time for supper."

Dor stared at her, "You have brothers here? I thought that you were the only hobbit in the mountain, begging your pardon."

Bofur chuckled, "She is the only hobbit. The whole company adopted her. However the brothers that she's talking about right now are the Ri's. She lives with them and calls 'em brother. The rest of us are more like cousins."

She rolled her eyes, "You are all very dear to me. But there is only one of me and I prefer not to bounce from place to place. The deciding factor was that none of you make tea as well as Dori does." She teased.

Bofur clutched his hat to his chest dramatically, "If I'd known that that was the requirement, I would've practiced me tea brewing ages ago."

She laughed at his melodrama. 

Bofur sobered suddenly. "Speaking of brothers, that reminds me. You came down here because you wanted to talk to me about something that you couldn't discuss with them."

She hissed, "Bofur, that's private."

He shrugged, "You might as well get whatever is bothering you off your chest. You came all the way down here because it was important. These are all good lads, several of them have women kin as well. They know better than to spread around a lady's business, right?" He glared at them and they all nodded hastily. "It's not like we don't have plenty of time."

Indecisive, she rose and moved several feet away so she could pace. The anxiety that had been pushed back while taking care of the crisis suddenly came roaring back full force. Bofur left her to her thoughts, knowing that she would either share what was bothering her or she wouldn't and pushing her would only get the foolish dwarf's head bit off for his troubles. Finally after several minutes of pacing, she rejoined the group. Plopping down on the ground, she gave a combination of a groan, sigh, and huff. "Fine, but if any of you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone, I will personally hunt you down and shave you myself."

A few of the dwarves inched away from her, but Bofur just grinned. "That's my lass. So what's got you so tied up in knots?"

"As you know, I've been working with Ori in the library. Things have been going well, we've been making good progress and things were going smoothly between us."

Bofur nodded, "Aye, Balin and Thorin have been very pleased with the progress you two have been making, especially that trade agreement that you found last week. So what happened to send you scurrying down here to find me? I can't imagine that you're very fond of places like this, especially after yer little run-in with Gollum."

Feeling her cheeks heat up, she forced out, "Ori asked me if I would be open to the idea of us courting."

She was surprised when Bofur just nodded. "Wondered when the lad was going to get around to asking. What did you say?"

"Nothing, I just froze! Then I ran." She buried her face in her hands.

Bofur just made a soothing noise and kept carving. 

After a moment, she continued. "His face, it was horrible. I never wanted to make him have such an expression. I've ruined everything. What am I going to do, Bofur?"

Bofur hummed thoughtfully, "That is a tricky one, lass. I can see why you didn't want to talk with Dori and Nori, not fair to make them pick sides. Still, why don't we try to do what you did earlier with the cave-in. Let's break it down into more manageable pieces like. No use trying to mine an entire shaft at once."

She wrapped her arms tightly around her middle, as if she was trying to hold herself together. "I don't even know where to start."

Surprisingly, it was Dor that spoke up. "My amad says that when you don't know where to start, the best place to go is back to the beginning and start there."

Bofur nodded, "Always said that your amad was wise. Let's start there. What was it about Ori's suggestion that you two consider courting that was so upsetting?"

She froze but the others simply let her work through it. Finally she whispered, "Why would anyone want to court me?"

Kern frowned at her. "Surely you've had suitors before."

She hung her head in shame and Bofur finally stop carving to stare at her incredulously. "Surely the lads in the Shire can't be that blind."

She said softly, "I was too adventurous for respectable hobbits and too tame for a Took. Not to mention that my mother was only able to have a single child. The only ones who wanted to court me were after my money and I would've never entertained their suit."

Kern said, "Any child is a blessing and a daughter especially so."

She smiled bleakly at him, "In the Shire, sons are prized because the carry on the family name. And hobbits typically have large families. To be able to only have a single child was odd."

Dor asked, "How large is a typically family for hobbits? Most dwarves are blessed with one or two. If they are very fortunate, they have three or four."

She grinned at him, "My father was the eldest of five children. My mother was the ninth of twelve children."

The dwarves gaped at this and then accused her of making fun of them. She had to call on Bofur to back up her claim. He did so and the other dwarves muttered in Khuzdul. She knew just enough now to pick up on their awe and disbelief, although she knew that she was still missing large chunks of the conversation

Bofur gently drew the conversation back on track, "So the lads of the Shire are blind. It's a shame that you've never been properly courted, but all the better. Now you have the chance to be courted as you truly deserve."

And they were right back where they had started. Forcing down the hurt, she shrugged and repeated, "Why would anyone want to court me?"

Instead of yelling at her that of course she deserved to be courted like Gloin would or trying to convince her like Fili, Kili and Balin would, Bofur returned to his carving. Instead of being offended, Bella knew that having his hands busy helped the miner to think. After a minute during which he shushed two other dwarves that started to speak, he finally nodded to himself.

"All right. Tell us why you don't deserve to be courted."

"Well, I'm just a hobbit."

He countered calmly, "You were created by our maker's wife. If Mahal can love Yavanna, why can dwarves not do the same with hobbits?"

Admittedly she hadn't thought of that, but she wasn't going to let him derail her that easily. "I have nothing to bring to a marriage. I signed away Bag End when I left the Shire and I gave away my share of the treasure to the men of Lake Town before the battle. If it weren't for the company, I wouldn't even have a place to stay."

"Although the company would never let you go without, let's say for argument's sake that what you say is true. It is true that you do not have any material wealth beyond what any of the company decides to gift you. But that is not the true treasure that you bring. To start off with, you have your wits and your education. Your quick thinking pulled us out of many a tight spot. You've a gift for languages and trading. Gloin says that you can out trade him and Balin says that you can write an iron clad contract. Neither of these are small things. Then there's your ability to care for a home. You can keep books, cook, sew, maintain weapons, know basic healing, and know at least something about childcare from what you've said about your large family during the quest. That's not even taking into account your duel crafts."

Bella stared at him, "Duel crafts?"

"Aye. Are you or are you not helping Ori to restore the library?"

She said hesitantly, "Yes."

"I admit that I don't know all the ins and outs, but doesn't that require you to repair damaged tomes, copy those that are too damaged to repair, translate several different languages, and organize it so that anyone can access the information?"

She nodded, "That's the basics, yes."

"Well, there's your winter craft. And when spring comes, you'll be the one in charge of restoring the fields around Erebor, making sure that we have crops to harvest come next fall. Making sure that the mountain is fed and cared for? And don't ask me what all goes on in farming, I'm a miner for a reason."

She smiled at him, "It's long and complicated, but yes, Thorin said that I could oversee that. You've been to the Shire, you know how hobbits love the land."

Pleased to see her relaxing, he smiled back, "Aye, a more bounteous place I've never seen. So there's your summer craft. You've chosen well, crafts that speak both to the mind and the body, ones that can see you throughout the entire year, so that you never have to be idle."

She knew that it was a great hardship on a dwarf to be idle and she could admit that point. However, when she started to speak, Bofur raised his hand. "I'm not quite done yet, lass. There's still more. There's also your courage. You left your home, left everything behind and traveled halfway across Arda to face almost certain death by Smaug. Despite all the trials and hardships of the journey, you never gave up, even though at times you thought of turning back. We all did. Then you had to have the courage to make the hard decision to save us despite ourselves. If you had not taken the Arkenstone that day, Erebor would've truly perished, never to rise again. You have done much and never asked for anything in return."

She said tartly, trying to cover up her tears at his warm words, words that were like a healing balm to her battered soul, "I was promised a fourteenth share of the treasure, it wasn't purely altruistic."

Bofur chuckled, "You gave it away right after you got it. If the treasure had been what you were truly after, you would've left us to our fates. No, what you were searching for was a family. You were willing to look beyond cultures and appearances. You were willing to take a ragtag bunch of odds and ends and work us together into a family. And even after we messed up and did things that a dwarf would hold a grudge over until the end of his days, you opened your heart and forgive us, welcomed us back in to the one place that we will always truly belong. All of these things are what you would bring to any marriage. Any family lucky enough to gain you will be rich beyond measure."

She said weakly, "You're just saying that."

Kern shook his head. "No wonder tales of your deeds have not been spread. Dwarves far and wide would line up to court you. Some, like those in your Shire, would only be after you for your connection to our king and his company. But everything Bofur has said is true and there would be many willing to spend their last coin in the hopes of joining you to them and their family. A bright mind, a willing heart, courage, spirit, and a spine made of mithril, and love of family above all else, not to mention your skills and crafts, makes you a coveted bride"

It was her turn to wonder if they were pulling her leg, but all of their expressions were serious and solemn. A knot in her heart that had formed the first time she was mocked over her lack of prospects and had tightened a little bit more every day since finally loosened and eased from her heart. Still, there was one more sting that still ate at her. Unwilling to bow her head in shame, she said, "What if I am never able to have children?"

Kern shrugged. "There are always options. If you do not have children, you can always adopt an heir to take over your craft. And often battles can leave young ones without families, sadly. The race of dwarves is dying, that's why Erebor is our hope. A place to raise our families in peace and safety. But whether or not you can have children does not affect your worth. Anyone who thinks so is truly blind."

Bella buried her face in her hands and wept. This was a burden that had followed her for her entire life, something that she had been shamed for in the Shire. To be told that she had value, that she wasn't a waste of space, it was like a dam had burst and all of the old pain and anger flowed out, leaving relief in it's wake. The dwarves looked at each other in alarm but Bofur just shook his head. Putting away his carving, he moved over and sat next to her and then pulled her gently into his lap. She buried her face into his chest and continued to weep. He simply smoothed his hand gently over her her hair and back and hummed an old lullaby that he usually used on nights when Bifur was struggling with his old head wound.

The rest of the dwarves moved respectfully away, knowing all too well the signs of an old injury. Bofur murmured, "That's it, get it all out. Get rid of all that poison those nasty biddies dripped into your ears over the years. They're not worth another moment of your pain or time. Just let it all go, I have you."

And that's exactly what she did. She wept out all the years of loneliness and isolation, all the cutting remarks and sly glances. She let go of all the crude advances she had had to endure and how she had to watch every move she made and every word she said for even the slightest hint of impropriety. And then how everyone had said that she was full of herself, a snob, someone who'd thought that she was better than everyone else.

She didn't know how much time passed, but eventually the storm calmed and the last of the hurt drained away. She gradually became aware of Bofur's gentle gesture and sighed. She hadn't had anyone hold her while she cried since her mother had passed away. Sniffling, she pulled back just enough to offer him a weak smile. Smoothing a loose curl from her face, he said quietly, "Better?"

She tried to speak but her nose was too stuffed from her crying jag. Sighing, she fished a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and tried to blow her nose daintily, which is extremely hard to do after a hard crying session. It was still rather loud but at least it wasn't as loud as a dwarf's, she consoled herself. Unable to meet his eyes, she tucked herself back against his chest and whispered her final confession about her past, "My family kept trying to get me to leave Bag End, said that a place like that deserved to have a family in it. But my father built it for my mother and it was my home."

She felt him stiffen under her hands and a growl rumbled through his chest. He let loose a string of words that she was pretty sure he had reprimanded Dor for saying earlier. Finally he stopped and switched back to common. "The world always says that dwarves are greedy. Well this day I say that it's true. The company took the Shire's greatest treasure and they were too much of fools to realize what they lost. We're keeping you, Bella, and you will never have to fear leaving your home again. No matter what. If you marry or don't. If you work or don't. If you have children or don't. No matter what, you are ours and we are keeping you."

Completely dry of tears from her earlier bout, she hugged him fiercely. "I claim you as well, all of my dwarves. I will never let you go. As much as I am yours, you all are mine." If she felt a few hot drops fall on her head, well, these were extraordinary times and she would never say a word to anyone. Finally Bofur released her. Moving out of his lap, she gently laid her forehead on his. "Smile, nadad. It just doesn't seem right to see you so sad."

He grinned up at her obediently, his eyes still shiny. "I'm not sad, I'm so happy that it's greater than even a smile. Some things are just too big, ya know?"

She smiled gently at him, "I'm starting to see that." Moving away, she gave him a moment to compose himself.

Seeing her back on her feet, the dwarves came back over. Kern offered her a water skin but she shook her head. "It's not time for rations yet."

He gently pushed it into her hands. "You need to drink. You'll surely be dehydrated. Besides, your company is probably moving Erebor itself to get you out of here."

She reluctantly drank. "Thorin cares for all of his people. I'm sure that everyone is doing everything they can to get us out of here."

Kern met Bofur's eyes over Bella's head and Bofur shrugged, a crooked grin on his face. Despite everything, Bella was a hobbit and it would take time for her to see her true value to Erebor and the dwarves. Especially after the nonsense it seems that her family had filled her head with. Settling back into a circle, they sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to hear anything from the cave in. But there was only silence.

It was Dor that broke the silence. "So we've answered the first part of your problem, why would anyone court you. What's next?"

Bella giggled, feeling incredibly lighthearted suddenly, "Really? That's what you want to talk about? Surely you've had enough emotional female drama for now."

They all nodded their heads. Bofur nudged her gently, "It's an honor to help straighten out problems. And you keep forgetting, women are special to us. To have the chance to help one out is a great privilege."

She asked archly, "So if it were Fili or Kili or Ori having problems, you wouldn't help out?"

Bofur chuckled, "Oh, aye, we'd still help out, but they'd have to endure a great deal more teasing. And it depends on whether or not the princes have been up to their tricks as to how willing I'd be to help."

She smiled fondly, "They've settled a bit lately, I think that Kili's trying to impress Tauriel."

Bofur muttered, "Mahal help her." 

Kern said, "So now that we've settled as to why any dwarf would be lucky to court you, let's talk about this would be suitor."

She blinked at him, "Ori?"

Dor piped up, "Wasn't he one of the company? Along with his brothers?"

She nodded, "Yes, Dori's the eldest, then Nori, and finally Ori."

He frowned, "Didn't Bofur say that the Ri's are your kin, your brothers? How then can he want to court you? His namith?"

She frowned at Bofur. "I don't know. In the Shire, an adopted child can still marry into the family because they are not related by blood, but I'm not sure how it works for dwarves. It wasn't something that I was thinking about when each of the families of the company adopted me."

Kern asked, "Each of them adopted you?"

"Yes, I'm technically of the lines of Ur, Ri, Fundin, and Durin. A little unusual I know, but legal all the same, Balin checked."

Kern shrugged, "It should be all right then. You'll just need to move in with another branch of your family during the courtship and everything should be fine. If you belonged just to the line of Ri, then you would have to adopt into another clan so you could marry. But as you said, you're not a blood relation and since you already belong to a different clan, everything should be just fine."

Satisfied, Dor nodded. "So tell us about Ori. I need something to take my mind off the way my arm is throbbing."

Checking the lanterns, she saw that it was time for everyone to take another round of herbs. After handing them out and making sure that they were all settled comfortably, she started. "Well, Ori's exceptional, really. He's the royal scribe for Thorin. I'm also helping him to restore the library. He can speak and read seven languages fluently, get by in three more, can read four dead languages and is currently learning yet another language. He's also quite a talented artist. He's the one who recorded the journey to retake Erebor. He's also patient. I can't even begin to tell you how many times he helped me along during the quest and he's been teaching me iglishmek and khuzdul. He doesn't get frustrated but will explain it again and again until I finally get it. He also knits, work that would put some of the Shire to shame."

Bofur held up his fingerless gloves. "Aye, the lad made these. Fine craftsmanship and he uses a fine wire in the thread to make them more durable and like armor."

The dwarves passed them around, eyeing them critically. Bella hadn't realized that he used wire in his knitting but shouldn't have been surprised. Dori embroidered with a fine metallic thread, why was knitting any different? Finally Kern passed them back to Bofur with an approving nod. "He does good work, nice steady hand and thickness without being too bulky or heavy. Does he have the Ri strength? What weapon does he favor?"

Bella looked at Bofur, unsure of what he was asking. Bofur nodded, "Aye, the lad got the Ri strength, just like Dori. He favors slingshot for ranged and lately has taken to a war hammer as his primary. He's good with his fists and it looks likely that someday he'll even pass Dori in strength."

The dwarves looked pleased at this. Kern grinned, "So the lad had good prospects, a steady craft, a family to support him, and strength to protect you."

Bofur added, "Not to mention wealth. The lad got a fourteenth share, same as the rest of us. Plus a good work ethic. Never seen him idle."

Kern nodded contently, "A good prospect for a suitor. He'll still have to prove himself, but he has a solid foundation to work with."

Feeling frustrated, she said, "He's a great catch. What can he see in me? When everything else is taken away, I'm a simple Shire lass far away from everything she knows."

Bofur started to reply but this time Kern silenced him. He chose his words carefully before speaking. "You'll have to ask him that question. Part of the courting process is discovering what each sees in the other and why they value it. But if he sees what I have seen of your heart and spirit in only the short time I have known you, he would be a fool to let you go. And from what you have said of him, he is many things but a fool is not one of them."

Gathering her courage, she asked, "What if the courting couple find that they do not like what they discover about the other."

"Then they go their separate ways, with no blame on either side. Not all are made to fit together. It is said that when Mahal made us, he made one other that would fit perfectly and complete us, that would be our other half, our One. However, it is very rare for a dwarf to find his One. Some are content to devote themselves to their craft and simply never bother looking, not wanting to divide their attention. Many more were lost in the fall of Erebor and there are many that will never meet their One until they reach Mahal's Halls. Others spend their lives searching for that One to complete them without luck and some are content to follow their hearts and marry where it leads them, whether or not the other is their one or not. But for a few lucky ones, they are blessed to find their One and spend out their days with them. Thus why we court, to see if our hearts fit or not."

Dor asked, "Is it not the same for hobbits?"

"When hobbit couples court, it is with the expectation that it will end in marriage. If one chooses to break it off, it causes a great rift between the families sometimes. That is why I never dared court, even when I was lonely. Better to be alone than trapped in a marriage where I did not fit right."

Bofur sighed, "No wonder ye froze when the lad asked if you were open to the idea. The idea of not being able to say no when you discovered that you and your suitor do not suit is truly a frightening one."

She sighed, "Even if I hadn't froze, I still have no idea how to go about courting. It would be nothing but a disaster."

Kern signed discreetly for the mapmaker to make notes and asked, "Well, how do hobbits court?"

She smiled, "When we are young, in our tweens, we go to parties all around the Shire along with our age group. If a boy and girl like each other, they will stay together at parties, watched over by the chaperones of course. After several months of this, the boy will bring the girl a bouquet stating his intentions, as well as a gift for each of her parents. If she fancies him as well and likes his message, then she cooks him a homemade meal to show off her culinary skills. After that, there are a few parties with the families and some courting walks. After that, the couple weds within a few months usually."

Dor said thoughtfully, "So hobbit courting is more like dwarven betrothals, although with less ceremony."

She shrugged. "We're a simple people. I don't want you to think that all marriages in the Shire are unhappy. I just knew that I could never live like that. Not after seeing the great love between my mother and my father. He had to court her for three years before she finally said yes. He built Bag End just for her. He was one of the most respectable hobbits in the Shire and she was a wild Took lass, but their love for one another was so bright and real. What does dwarven courting look like?"

Bofur shrugged. "First you have to see if your partner is even open to the idea. As a dam, you have all the power in the relationship. Whatever you says, goes. No one can force you into anything against your will. If the person is amenable to the idea of courtship, the next step is the first gift. This is to show how the suitor sees the one that he courts. The family has to approve of it before he can approach the person he wishes to court with the gift. If both the family and the recipient approve, then the courtship can begin. The courting couple spend time together under a chaperone so that they can get to know one another better. This goes on for some months. It also gives you a chance to know the other's family, for you marry not just a person but their kin as well. There are also several gifts presented during this time, usually to display their mastery of their chosen craft. During this time, the couple wear courting braids to indicate that they are in a relationship. If someone, usually a dam, is being courted by several, she may chose to wear braids from each of them or she may decide to just allow one to court her. If after a certain period of time, usually no less than a year, the couple decides that they suit, they can then weave betrothal braids into their hair. At this point, both families come together and start working on the marriage contract. This can take anywhere from a few months to several years. Finally, after all of this and a contract has been decided to the satisfaction of both clans, then then two marry."

Bella looked overwhelmed by all of this but she knew that Bofur had simplified it a lot for her. Still, she had to know. "And if the couple decide they don't suit after they are betrothed?"

"They have until the day the are married to back out of it. After they are married, they can still separate but it's a much longer process. However, if one of the parties is being abused, we take that very seriously. Any such allegations are investigated immediately and if found to be true, the marriage is dissolved. The abuser is shaved and banished from the settlement."

Pressing what he had been carving into her hands, Bofur said seriously, "Put all of that aside, courting, dwarf versus hobbit traditions, worthiness or unworthiness. What does your heart feel at the thought of Ori with another?" She cringed. "Listen to your heart. Everything else is just extra. What matters is how you feel about him. Don't hesitate to talk to him, tell him how you're feeling, any fears or reservations that you might have. If he truly cares for you, he'll let you have all the time you need to make a decision one way or 'nother." Leaning in closer, he whispered in her ear, "But if you want to know the truth, the lad has been gone on you since Rivendell. Everyone's been betting when he would finally have the courage to ask you. He's been sweet on you for forever, so it's not just your heart involved in this."

Standing, he carelessly dusted off his trousers and said cheerfully, "Time for a shift change. You lot get some rest and then Bella can continue her story after her shift."

As he and Kern went to relieve the sentries by the blockage, Bella opened her hands, curious as to what he had given her. To her surprise, a miniature Ori stared up at her. Stretching out on her side, she cradled the toy carefully in her hands and closed her eyes. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

Several hours had passed before Thorin made his way back over to the Ri brothers. Seeing him, they immediately stopped what they were doing and moved so that they were standing together. Thorin took in their anxious expressions and offered them a half smile, although his exhaustion was plainly evident. "We finally managed to get the last of the area shored up. It looks like Smaug tried to force his way through there and caused more damage than we initially realized. We talked to Bifur and he estimates that there is seven or eight feet of rock between us and the trapped miners. A few of the boulders are quite sizeable. We're having to move slowly and reinforce as we go. However, Bifur did say that it felt like everyone got out of the way in time."

Dori let out a sigh of relief at this news. Bifur had the strongest stone sense in the company, so it was probable that everyone had managed to at least escape the rockfall. That didn't account for injuries, supplies, or air, but at least it was one worry off the table. Ori begged, "Please, let us help." Guilt and worry were eating him alive. Bella had been down in the tunnels because of him. If something had happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Thorin looked at the three of them. "It wouldn't hurt to have the Ri strength on hand to help out, but we'll still have to go slowly."

Nori grinned crookedly, "Well, that leaves me out then."

Thorin shook his head. "I actually have another task for you. It's come to my attention that there's been some friction between the dwarves and men because of the stress of this incident. Balin is playing diplomat as is Bard. But I need you to find out if there's any truth behind the grumbling or if it's all just stress induced fear. I'm sorry to take you away from your family at this time, but as so as we know anything, I'll send you a runner."

Nori looked grim but nodded. "Better to get a handle on the situation before it becomes critical. Last thing we need is another situation while we're trying to deal with this one." He rested his forehead gently against Dori and the Ori's foreheads. "Both of you be careful down there. I don't want to lose my family in one blow, ya hear? Take your time, go slow, and bring her home."

Dori smiled at him. "We will. Watch your back, nadad. You'll be the one doing the dangerous work." 

With a last long look, Nori took off while Dori and Ori turned and followed after Thorin.

* * *

They had done three watch rotations and just eaten a second time when they first heard the noises. They were so faint at first that it was easy to dismiss it as the rockfall settling into place. But after a little bit, it became clear that it was the sound of shovels and picks. The captured dwarves cheered at this, their spirits lifting immensely. Despite wanting to listen closely to the sound of their rescuers, Bofur and Bella moved everyone back except for the sentries, not wanting to risk another cave in. After several tense minutes, there came a rhythmic tapping sound. Instantly all the dwarves fell silent, listening intently.

Sensing Bella's confusion, Bofur murmured, "It's code. They want to know if there's anyone alive in here. If there are, they want to know our status, how many hurt, if we have air, etc."

As the tapping fell silent, Bella grinned at the dwarves. "Let's give them some good news, shall we?"

* * *

The dwarves on the far side of the rockfall waited in tense anticipation after finishing taping out a message. By best estimate, they were just over halfway through the blockage and it was finally thin enough for a message to go through. Their wait was thankfully brief as moments after finishing, they heard a tapping coming from the other side.

Relief swept through the assembled dwarves. There were survivors, praise Mahal. But what sort of shape were they in?

The message came too rapidly for most to decode, but one of the dwarves wrote it down. Once the tapping stopped, Thorin ordered him to read it aloud.

"They said, 'Air fine, rations and water good until rescued. Nine dwarves and one hobbit present. No serious injuries. Missing three, did they make it out?"

A ragged cheer split the air and Dori hugged a relieved Ori hard.

Thorin quickly ordered for them to relay the information that the other three were accounted for, one seriously injured but expected to pull through.

The reply was short and sweet. "Thank Mahal."

Feeling relieved now that he knew that they weren't in danger of running out of air, he said, "Tell them that we're having to go slow and reinforce to prevent another cave in but that we'll get them out of there soon."

The translator laughed when the message came back. Thorin asked wearily, "What's so funny, I could use some laughter about now."

He passed the paper to Thorin who chuckled when he read it. He then said, "When we told them it will take some time to get them out, their reply was, 'No worries, we have plenty of rations and the hobbit is an excellent story teller. Take your time. We'll still be here.'"

Relieved to finally have some good news for the first time since this whole mess started, Thorin ordered them to take a brief rest. After dispatching a runner to Nori as promised, he sank down and sat on the ground, uncaring of his kingly image or dignity. His people were safe and he wasn't going to have to tell any families that their loved one wasn't coming home. It was a win in his book.

Ori all but crumpled to a sitting position, the relief causing him to go week in the knees. Dori sat gracefully next to him and rested his face on his knees, mumbling, "Thank Mahal."

* * *

It was another half a watch before the rescue team finally broke through. It was just a tiny hole, barely the size of a hand, but the cheer that followed was deafening. Now that they had been reached, the trapped party pulled well away from the rockfall, not willing to tempt fate a second time. However, as both sides bantered back and forth, it seemed like no time at all before an opening large enough to get in and out from was created and reinforced. Medics entered first, examining the trapped dwarves carefully while the rest kept working on the rockfall.

Bella had waited until last, having been uninjured during the cave in thanks to Bofur. The medic grinned at her as he pronounced her injury free. "I have some people that will be happy to see you, Lady Bella."

She sighed, "I'm ready to see them again too. This is something that I never want to have to go through again."

The medic sobered, "We were lucky this time, everyone survived." Pulling himself together, he shook off his gloom. "But everyone did survive, so that calls for a celebration. You're good to go, just be careful through the first bit."

Touching the figurine in her pocket, she smiled at the medic and scraping up every last ounce of her courage, made her way through the opening. She had barely made it through when she was swept into a bone crushing hug by Bifur. She giggled and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm happy to see you too. Thanks for getting us out of there." 

He nodded and released her, only to go and give Bofur the same treatment. To her surprise, Thorin was the next to hug her, though thankfully much gentler than Bifur had. He muttered, "I swear, Mistress Baggins, between you and my nephews, my hair will be entirely white before the year is out." He was grinning when he said it, so she didn't take it to heart.

She teased, "Maybe then you'll look dignified, like Balin."

To her surprise, he merely winked at her and passed her along to Dori. He held her at arm's length and looked her over carefully, clucking like the mother hen that Nori often called him.

Smiling gently, she reassured the gentle dwarf, "I'm ok, nadad, really. Bofur shielded me during the cave in. I didn't even get a bruise."

Seeing her look around, he said quietly, "Nori had to go run an errand for Thorin, but he really wanted to be here."

She nodded absently, still looking around.

Lowering his voice even farther, Dori said, "He's over there." She looked over to see Ori leaning against a while, watching her closely. Before she could start towards him, Dori said, "I know that you two had a bit of a falling out today. But could you please at least tell him that you're all right and let him see for himself?"

Bella smiled at him. "We didn't have a falling out. It was more of a misunderstanding on my part. Don't worry, everything's gonna be ok."

Dori watched with growing hope as she slowly made her way over to Ori.

* * *

Making her way over to where Ori was leaning against the wall, Bella had to push down the fear that was threatening to overwhelm her. She was tired of listening to fear. Now, she just wanted to live and be happy again. Ori watched her like a hawk but didn't move, almost as if he was scared that she would run again if he made a move. She was just a few feet away when she noticed his hands. They were all torn up and bloody.

Leaping forward, she gently caught his hands with hers and pulled them up where she could see them. She exclaimed, "Oh Ori, look at your poor hands."

He gently eased them from her grip. "It's nothing, they'll heal." Looking at the ground, his voice deepened and there was a note of uncertainty in it. "Are you ok? All the message said was no serious injuries."

She said softly, "Not a scratch on me." She willed him to look up, but he still refused to meet her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm so glad that you're all right. You would've never been down here if I hadn't..."

She placed a finger against his lips, cutting him off. Looking at the downcast dwarf in front of her, she knew that Bofur was right. Ori's heart was just as invested as hers and it was time that she stopped living in fear and made her mother proud. Stepping forward until she was right in front of him, she slipped her hand behind his neck and gently tugged until his forehead came down to press gently against hers.

Not releasing her grip, she took a deep breath. "I chose to come down here, this was not your fault. Accidents happen. About earlier."

He tensed and tried to step back, but she refused to release him. His voice resigned, he said quietly, "Yes?"

"I'm afraid I misunderstood the situation. If you still want to." She swallowed hard but kept going. "I would like to give us courting a try."

His gaze flew to her face and he searched her expression for what she truly meant. She smiled at him, suddenly realizing how much she would miss him if they decided to go their separate ways.

He breathed, "Bella, you don't have to do this because."

She stopped him. "I'm not doing this because I feel indebted or because I nearly died today or anything like that. I misunderstood the situation earlier. Hobbit courting is quite different you see. But in a way, the cave in was a little bit responsible. It gave me time to think and I realized how much I would miss what we have if we weren't part of each other's lives anymore, or if things were awkward between us. I want to give us a try. But it's up to you."

He studied her face for another few seconds before whooping with joy. Scooping her up, he spun her around laughing giddily. She clung to his shoulders and laughed along with him. When he finally set her back down, she said breathlessly, "Is that a yes then?"

His eyes alight with joy, Ori said, "Yes. You won't regret this, I promise."

He was leaning down to press his forehead against hers again when he was suddenly tugged away by his collar. Bella couldn't contain her giggle when she saw that it was Dori standing there, smiling at both of them. He said, "While I'm happy that you two have sorted that out, proprieties still need to be observed."

Ignoring the pout on Ori's face, she smiled up at Dori. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to move out, nadad."

This drew exclamations of what from both Ori and Dori, only to be echoed from behind her a moment later. Turning around, she saw Nori frozen in the middle of the process of sneaking up and pouncing on her from behind. Laughing, she hugged the star haired dwarf. "Nori, I thought Thorin was keeping you busy."

Hugging her back, he said, "I got it sorted out and wanted to come see if they'd managed to break through. Now what's all this about moving out? Just because you and Ori had a tiff doesn't mean that it can't all be sorted out."

She shook her head, "No, I have to move out. According to Kern, who I'm pretty sure studied law or something similar. Since I belong to your family, if Ori and I wish to court, I need to adopt into another family and move into their home. Since I already have other families, I simply have to decide which one to move in with." She wrinkled her nose. "Although honestly, I will probably pick the Ur's. I'd kill Fili and Kili before two days were over and I can't imagine rooming with Balin and Dwalin. They're good dwarves but a bit overprotective."

Nori stared at her, wide eyed before shifting his gaze to Ori and then back to her. He drawled, "And just when did this happen?"

She giggled, enjoying surprising him for once. "Just now. Mind you, I've only just agreed to be open to the idea of us courting. From what I understand, he still has to make a gift and everything."

Nori rolled his eyes. "As if he hasn't been..."

Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by Ori's hand over his mouth, the younger dwarf blushing furiously. Bella wiggled her way out from being nearly squished between the two and stood beside Dori. As soon as she was out of the way, it devolved into a wrestling match.

Bofur chose that moment to join them. He asked, "You and the lad work it out?"

She beamed up at him. "How do you feel about me moving in with you guys?"

His eyes twinkling, he said, "Well, let me see." He hollered for BIfur and waited until he had come over to repeat Bella's question. Bifur asked a question and Bofur nodded yes. Grinning from ear to ear, Bifur picked her up in another hug, although this one was thankfully more gentle. Bofur chuckled, "I do believe that's a yes. When should we expect you?"

Bifur let her go and she moved back over to Dori. Laying her head on his shoulder, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Tomorrow. I need a bath and I think that we all need some sleep, I'll move in tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end of the story, but it is a big step forward :)
> 
> Ori and Bella are so cute!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


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